Shopping in Montreal

Montreal offers superb shopping, from sophisticated shopping centres to wonderful public markets.

Key areas

Downtown is your best bet for choice in terms of name brands and chain stores. There is a concentrated row of shoe shops and clothing stores on St Catherine in addition to several tourist tat places. Head to the elite Greene Avenue in Westmount for chi chi boutiques and quality goods. Still in Westmount, but along Sherbrooke Street West between Grosvenor and Marlowe, there are some unique little shops which are excellent for one-of-a-kind gifts. The Plateau (along St Laurent and St Denis) has the edge on second hand stores and media-cool accessories. Old Montreal is aimed at tourists and though there are some designer boutiques well worth visiting, for the most part you’ll be looking at souvenir stores or maple syrup stands.

Markets

Montreal's markets, or marchés publics, are wonderful places to browse a wide range of produce from fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood to maple products, honey, baked goods, spices and other goods.

One of the city's biggest markets is Jean-Talon, 7070 Henri-Julien Street, located in the Little Italy district. It is packed with some of the best Quebecois street food such as crepes, fried squid, roasted chestnuts, as well as fantastic meats, cheese, oils, pastries. Other good markets include Atwater, on 138 Atwater Avenue, specialising in fine foods and speciality boutiques, and Maisonneuve, 4445 Ontario Street East, which is housed in a gorgeous Beaux-Arts style building, the former site of the old market built before WW1. All three markets are open year-round too.

Shopping centres

Downtown has a good selection of shopping centres from upmarket Ogilvy's, 1307 rue Ste-Catherine West, and Holt Renfrew, 1300 rue Sherbrooke West to more affordable garments and perfumes at The Bay, 585 rue Ste-Catherine West. The Eaton Centre, 705 Ste-Catherine Street West, is a nice airy mall which has all your chain stores as well as some Canadian goods you might not find elsewhere.

Opening hours

Shops are generally open Monday to Wednesday 1000-1800, Thursday and Friday 1000-2100, Saturday 1000-1700 and Sunday 1200-1700.

Souvenirs

First Nations crafts, maple products, bagels, smoked meats, Inuit soapstone carvings and hardy winter clothes.

Tax information

The 5% federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) and 7.5% provincial Quebec Sales Tax (QST) are levied on most products and services.