Must-see shopping in Canada

  • Down to Earth Gallery

    Yellowknife

    Stop by for splendid panoramic photos of Yellowknife, bags of Barren Ground gourmet coffee, CDs by northern First Nations artists and bands, striking art…

  • Cocoa West Chocolatier

    British Columbia

    Every islander's favorite chocolate shop, the housemade treats in this excellent little store are hard to resist. But the velvet-smooth hot chocolate is…

  • Galerie Perreault

    Québec City

    Dynamic gallery showing some 16 different North American artists, many of whom got their start here. Don't miss Daniel Gagné's fabulous studies of autumn…

  • Outfitters

    St John's

    At this camping and gear shop you can get the local outdoorsy lowdown (check the bulletin board) and good rentals. Hikers should note this spot sells East…

  • Les Étains Chaudron

    The Laurentians

    For something really different, visit this showroom where master craftsman Antoine Chaudron sells his creations of highly polished lead-free pewter. You…

  • BMV

    Toronto

    The biggest (and most popular) used bookstore in Toronto, with a spectacular selection of titles. Vinyls and DVDs sold, too. It has a smaller second…

  • Fred's

    St John's

    This is the premier music shop in St John's. It features local music from blue-chip provincial artists such as Hey Rosetta, Buddy Wasisname, Ron Hynes,…

  • Mountain Equipment Co-op

    Calgary

    MEC is the place to get your outdoor kit sorted before heading into the hills. It's a Canadian institution with a huge selection of outdoor equipment,…

  • Farmers & Traders Market

    Annapolis Valley

    Annapolis Royal's thriving community of artists and artisans offer their wares alongside local farm produce at this popular market. There's live…

  • Banff Trail Riders Store

    Banff Town

    Pick up all the cowboy fashion you’ll ever need for looking the part in the saddle (or at Wild Bill's Bar), from Stetsons, chaps and plaid shirts to…

  • Junque Cellar

    Edmonton

    What is plain old junk to some is retro-cool to others. Sift through the typewriters, lava lamps, old phones, comics, clothes and other flashbacks of…

  • Mosaic Books

    Kelowna

    Mosaic Books is an excellent independent bookstore, selling maps (including topographic ones) and travel guides, plus books on indigenous history and…

  • Totem Ski Shop

    Jasper Town & Around

    An outdoor outfitter selling everything from camping gear to topographical maps; it also rents out ski gear and other supplies.

  • 124 Grand Market

    Edmonton

    Plenty of food trucks, artisans and produce to keep your belly and your shopping bag well satiated.

  • Polar Peek Books

    British Columbia

    An eclectic mix of books with a good section of local-interest reads. Gives great recommendations.

  • Foxy Shoppe

    Winnipeg

    Retro and rockabilly fashion, burlesque workshops, and pinup photography sessions. Girly fun!

  • Exterior of the Erin Templeton store

    Erin Templeton

    Gastown & Chinatown

    Known for recycling leather into hip, super-supple bags, belts, hats and purses, this eponymous store has a cult following. Erin herself is often on hand…

  • One of the artworks at Six Hundred Four

    Six Hundred Four

    Gastown & Chinatown

    Steps from Gastown's Steam Clock, this slender, white-walled gallery has an intriguing approach: distinctive paintings from local artists adorn its walls,…

  • Exterior of Book Warehouse bookstore

    Book Warehouse

    Fairview & South Granville

    Locals routinely beeline to this browse-worthy bookstore for discounts on new and just-released titles. If you're not sure what you're looking for, it's…

  • Space Lab

    Gastown & Chinatown

    A museum-like menagerie of everything from vintage taxidermy to retro cocktail glasses – plus clunky-keyed old typewriters that Hemingway would love –…

  • Exterior of Canterbury Tales bookshop

    Canterbury Tales

    Vancouver

    Serving the area's voracious bookworms, this used and new bookstore is one of several Drive literary nooks. It's a minilabyrinth of floor-to-ceiling…

  • Exterior of Daiso discount store

    Daiso

    Lower Mainland

    There are over 2500 outlets of this upmarket discount store in Japan, but only one in Canada, which is probably why Daiso Richmond has a cult rather than…

  • Granville Island Broom Company

    Vancouver

    Ever since Harry Potter, locals have been entranced by this Granville Island fave, which makes its own beautifully handcrafted Shaker-style straw brooms…

  • Exterior of the Pulpfiction Books store

    Pulpfiction Books

    Vancouver

    One of the city's best used-book stores (there are also plenty of new tomes in the front room), this is the ideal haunt for the kind of serious browsing…

  • Exterior of Audopile record store

    Audiopile

    Vancouver

    From classic rock to obscure German metal bands, this local-fave record store takes a no-nonsense approach with its basic racks of new and used vinyl, CD…

  • Exterior of Mintage vintage clothing store

    Mintage

    Vancouver

    Drive coolsters add some vintage glam to their look in this Western-saloon-like establishment. But don't be fooled: this is one of the city's most…

  • Exterior of the Eastside Flea market

    Eastside Flea

    Gastown & Chinatown

    A size upgrade from its previous venue has delivered a cavernous market hall of hip arts and crafts-isans hawking everything from handmade chocolate bars…

  • Exterior of the Attic Treasures store

    Attic Treasures

    Vancouver

    A Vancouver favorite specializing in antiques and midcentury items, this retro-cool doubleroom is lined with 1950s-to-1980s furniture and treasures…

  • Inside Zulu Records, Kitsilano neighbourhood.

    Zulu Records

    Vancouver

    Kitsilano's fave indie music store has downsized in recent years, but it's still easy to blow an afternoon here with the vinyl and CD nerds, flicking…

  • Community Thrift & Vintage Frock Shoppe

    Gastown & Chinatown

    A nonprofit social enterprise selling a cornucopia of vintage women's clothing, from 1970s print dresses to elegant silk tops to printed T-shirts of old…

  • La Grotta del Formaggio

    Vancouver

    If you insist on eating something other than chocolate or ice cream, hit this legendary time-capsule deli and sandwich shop, a family-run holdover from…

  • Lonsdale Quay Market

    North Shore

    A SeaBus hop from downtown Vancouver, this is the region's second most popular public market (after Granville Island). Look for BC wines and fresh fish…

  • Golden Age Collectables

    Vancouver

    If you're missing your regular dose of Hulkverines or you just want to blow your vacation budget on a highly detailed life-sized model of Conan the…

  • Purdy's Chocolates

    Fairview & South Granville

    Like a sweet beacon to the weary, this purple-painted chocolate purveyor stands at the corner of Granville and W 11th Ave calling your name. It's a…

  • Konbiniya Japan Centre

    Vancouver

    Like walking into a Tokyo convenience store, the shelves here are crammed with brightly packaged Japanese goodies from Calbee potato chips to Pocky…

  • Park Royal

    North Shore

    It's the region's oldest mall but Park Royal does a good job of keeping up with the competition. With 280+ stores (including all the usual suspects), its…

  • Simons

    Québec City

    One of the city’s success stories, Simons was started as a dry-goods store in the 1800s by the son of a Scottish immigrant. By 1952 his descendants had…

  • Roots

    Vancouver

    Basically a maple-leaf-emblazoned version of the Gap, Roots designs athletic, plaid-accented streetwear that's unmistakably Canadian. Its retro-style…

  • Érico

    Québec City

    The sights and smells in this delectable boutique will send chocophiles into conniptions of joy. The main shop brims with truffles, chocolate-chip cookies…

  • Make

    Vancouver

    It's hard not to blow your holiday budget at this store, which showcases a huge array of quirky, often nerdy gifts and creations, from Sasquatch-themed…

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