Toronto Shopping

Toronto Shopping information

Best Areas

The Eaton Centre is not only an incredibly large shopping mall but also one of the city's main tourist attractions. Inside you'll find high-end brand names down to stores offering great deals for bargain hunters. Cheap eats can be found in the food courts. If you are looking for souvenirs, the Eaton Centre and surrounding area along Yonge St offers many shops. To get here take the subway along the Young line and get off at either Dundas or Queen stops. Wander along Queen St West (begin at University St) and you will first find a young, funky neighbourhood filled with trendy shops. Keep walking past Bathurst St and you will find a plethora of small, independent art galleries scattered along the route straight down past Dufferin St. It's a great place for a browse, particularly if you have an interest in the arts. You'll often find street musicians and performers plying their trade as well as cafés to lounge in when you get tired. A visit along Queen St West is definitely worth the long walk. Yorkville, along Bloor West, is Toronto's most exclusive retail district. Here you'll find the major names in fashion, fine crystal and china shops, art galleries and high-end restaurants. To get here take the Bloor Subway line to the Bay stop. Yorkdale Mall is one of the city's nicer, higher end malls. Located outside of downtown, it is easy to get to on the Yonge-University subway line by simply hopping off at the Yorkdale stop.

Markets

St Lawrence Market offers amazing food and crafts. Your best bet is to go on an empty stomach and enjoy the tastes. You'll find fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood, meats, cheeses, coffees, teas, desserts, sauces, dried goods, candies and things that didn't even cross your mind in abundance. Located at 92 Front St East. Take the subway to Union Station and walk east along Front St. Open Tue-Thu 08h00-18h00, Fri 08h00-19h00 and Sat 5h00-17h00, closed Sun-Mon. Kensington Market is where you will find great fresh produce, dry goods, fish markets, bakeries, butchers, cheese shops and coffee, not to mention some of the city's best vintage clothing stores. The market is next to Chinatown, off Spadina with College St to its northern border and Dundas St West to its southern fringe.

What to Buy

For the best deals while souvenir hunting, check out the plethora of stores that run along Spadina in Chinatown (south of College St) and along Yonge St (south of Bloor St). You will have no problem finding gifts for your friends and family who collect the quintessential tacky souvenir. There are many stores selling everything from cheap postcards, Toronto and Canada T-shirts, pencils, pens, hats, and key-chains. Other options for souvenir and gift shopping include the stores and kiosks in the Eaton Centre and shops in many of the tourist stops including the CN Tower, AGO and ROM. You can expect to find some very cute items with moose and Mounties on them. Look for Native Canadian art, sculptures, dream catchers and moccasins. Ice wine, MAC cosmetics, Roots clothing and, of course, maple syrup all make great general Canadian souvenirs of your visit to Toronto.

Opening Hours

Shops are usually open between 10h00-18h00 Mon-Sat, with some stores open Sundays (variable times). In major cities supermarket are open from 07h30-21h00.

Tax Refund

A Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 7% applies on virtually every transaction in Canada except for the purchase of basic groceries. In Ontario, an additional provincial sales tax (PST) of 8% is levied on most items purchased in shops, although many foodstuffs, restaurant meals and children's clothes are exempt. You can get a GST refund on purchases taken out of the country (but not on food, drink, tobacco). Rebate forms, which must be submitted within 60 days of leaving Canada, may be obtained from certain retailers, duty-free shops, customs officials, or from Revenue Canada. Instant cash rebates up to a maximum of CAD500 are provided by some duty-free shops when leaving Canada, and most provinces do not tax goods that are shipped directly by the vendor to the purchaser's home. Always save your original receipts from stores (not just credit-card receipts), and be sure the name and address of the establishment is shown on the receipt. Original receipts are not returned. To be eligible for a refund, receipts must total at least CAD200, and each individual receipt must show a minimum purchase of CAD50.