Ok, The Wholesale Outlet is a strange little place. It's in what looks like a converted barn (!)…read moreThe parking lot (which it shares with The Apple Saddlery) is unpaved and full of potholes. When you go inside, everything is really messy and it looks like a warehouse. The back of the store is really poorly lit. So you would expect really low prices and great deals, right? Well, every clothing item hovers around the $100 mark. Now they do specialize in clothing from Canadian and European designers, and many of their items are made in Canada or in a European country, so yes, the quality is higher. However, with a name like "The Wholesale Outlet" I really was expecting lower prices. In my opinion, the majority of their items are rather dowdy, unless you are in your 8th decade of life, in which case, you would be considered a fashion plate if you wore these items. HOWEVER, if you have the time and patience to sort through their stuff, you will find some lovely gems. I have only ever purchased skirts here, and only in the clearance section at the back of the store, where everything is 50% off (but poorly lit and items are tightly packed together - my arms often hurt after pulling all the items apart to look at them on the racks). Now to give you an idea of my style, I love asymmetric hem lines, over-sized buttons, and superfluous zippers, so I'm a huge fan of the skirt styles from French, German and Scandinavian designers. The sizing of items here is a little strange. Yes, some are European sizes, but even that I found not to be consistent. I'm pretty much a North American size 2 (sometimes 0), so typically a European 36 or 38 and a UK/Australian 6 or 8. However, here I've tried on a "European 40" and a "Canadian 6" and couldn't zip up either item :P So the take home message is, if you like something, disregard the sizing, just eyeball it and if it looks like it might fit, try it on. If you are under 50 years old, you will likely be the youngest person in the store. The staff here are very nice and friendly. I don't come here often, but I will pop in once in a while to check things out.

This store is so unbelievable! Great service & amazing…read moreFrench dressing jeans. Awesome tops, jackets, shoes & beautiful sweaters! My new favorite store! Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

Unique Accessories is a little store with some interesting items. They sell mainly hats,…read morefascinators, and costume jewelry. Their hats are cool, but I wouldn't say all that unique. The styles and quality are similar to Parkhurst hats. The fascinators are pretty but honestly, I've purchased the exact same fascinators on eBay for a quarter of the price. However, at the store you get them right away, while on eBay you have to wait for shipping. I never need a last minute fascinator, so I'm cool with paying less and waiting for shipping. I'm not a huge fan of costume jewelry, but if you are, you might find some statement pieces here. They do have some quirky handbags, like one shaped like a teapot or a car. However, the prices are really high for what I feel is not that great quality. They have scarves, broaches, and other accessories too. The store is a bit on the small side but it's full of merchandise, so it does look a little crowded. A nice place to poke around. I've only ever made purchases here during their sales. I find the regular prices too high for the quality.

I really love this store - if fact, it really is the entire reason I ever go to Carlingwood. There…read moreare so few stores that have hats and fascinators in stock, this place is a real gem to have in Ottawa. I am very much a hat person and Must try things on before buying them - shape and size are a big part of it. While I am all over a good deal, I am also a big believer in "you get what you pay for" and if it's something you want to keep longterm, make it an investment. That said, I don't find the prices in this store unreasonable. My whole family is from the UK (I'm the Only Canadian) so hats come with the territory. Whenever we would cross the pond, picking up a good hat was always part of the trip, and let me tell you, they are Expensive! Unique Accessories offers fun hats and fascinators for a relatively decent price, and they are quite good quality - everything I have so far has stood up to the elements and become permanent pieces in my closet. The only other real hat store I have found is a tiny boutique in an office building in the market, where the Milliner makes everything from scratch and is therefor quite pricey (but again, you really get what you pay for - they are stunning) - I believe Mrs. Trudeau shops there too. As for the rest of the glitter and bling, it's quite fun and very colourful, but I must admit, I have only ever purchased headpieces. I will certainly be back, and I'm looking for an event to showcase my most recent acquisition!

Today I went to the Dynamite location at Place D'Orleans in Ottawa with my husband and 2 kids who…read moreare 2 and 4 years of age. I was returning a blouse that I purchased on December 23rd, 2013. What should have been a simple 5 minute return, it ended up being an hour of waiting. My debit card was defrauded a couple of days after I purchased the blouse so I was issued a new card with a new number. My new debit card did not match the number on the receipt and I was told that I could not get my money back. By chance I still had my old debit card in my purse that matched the number on the receipt. I asked for a manager who was the supervisor on duty. She told me that I could only do an exchange or get my refund on a gift card. I was told that if I wanted my money back I would have had to go to my bank and get proof that the purchase was made on the same account as my new debit card and that I needed proof that I have changed my debit card. They basically wanted to send me on a wild goose chase with my family. The associate and the supervisor were very adamant in providing the stock response of "It's Dynamites policy and it's for your own protection". I understand that there are policies in place to protect the company and the customer but a little common sense and customer service can go a long way. I could not accept that, only because the money was going back to the same account that the purchase was made on and I had physical proof that I was confirming my identity with my old debit card. The store manager, LAURA POTHIER, was on an hour lunch. I was willing to stay and wait for the store manager. During the hour that I was waiting LAURA POTHIER came back into the store to get her coat to go for a cigarette. As she was leaving the store passing me she told the employee that I could only get a store credit or an exchange. LAURA POTHIER came back from her cigarette and went to the back room without even acknowledging me. The cashier received an intercom message saying that the store manager is still on her lunch and she will not be back for another 20 minutes. I waited for that 20 minutes and realized that there was a customer service number on the back of the receipt. I called customer service and explained to the rep and quickly she asked to talk to an associate. The associate was able to return my money onto my new debit account right away. I don't understand why someone with such a high authority was not able to authorize a simple transaction OR ask me to call customer service to complete the return. Obviously talking to customer service this situation happens frequently but talking to the associates in the store this never happens and that there was no solution to this situation. What bothers me the most is that LAURA POTHIER did not once acknowledge me or want to talk to me. She was probably 10 feet away from me and didn't want to take 5 minutes of her time to explain to me my options. She had her employees take the heat of the situation. I have worked in retail for 12 years and 10 years of my retail experience I was a manager. With my experience working in retail, customer service is key to success. As a store manager, LAURA POTHIER, needs to lead by example. She basically is showing her employees that it is acceptable to ignore customers and customer service is not an important role in the retail business. I'm not looking for an apology of any type but waiting in the store with my family for an hour warrants some type of acknowledgement that the lack of customer service was given.

Purchased many items there years. ago when showing horses bought a saddle I always cherished night…read morehorse equipment blankets, brushes, ev thing always great quality and lasted years

So for the longest time I never went into Apple Saddlery because I thought it just sold equestrian…read moresupplies, and I don't ride horses. Then one day one of my friends told me they also sell clothes. I said "yeah, like riding breeches that make you look like you're wearing a diaper? No thank you." She said "no, like regular clothes." Being the shopper that I am, I had to check it out. My friend was right, they do have regular clothes. Well, they are more "outdoor adventure/active lifestyle" kind of clothes. Like what you would find at Sail, Mountain Equipment Co-Op and Bushtakah. They have a huge selection of Royal Robbins and they carry my favourite brand of this kind of clothing, Toad & Co. (formerly called Horny Toad - and I'm so glad they changed the name because I used to get a lot of funny looks when I asked stores if they carry Horny Toad). Anyway, prices are on par with other stores that sell this kind of clothing. They do have a clearance section at the back of the store where items are marked down and prices can be quite low. If you need to use the fitting room and staff aren't around, there's an old school bell on the wall that you ring. It's pretty cool! I can't speak about any of their equestrian supplies because I don't know anything about such things, but there's a huge selection. Staff are always friendly and nice. The parking lot is unpaved and bumpy with potholes everywhere, so be careful!

A small satellite outlet location of the Ottawa Senators team store…read more In honour of the end of my Seasonal Affective Disorder, and the Senators returning to the ice - I am writing reviews about my beloved Ottawa Senators while catching up on the Yelp 30 day challenge. With the end of the labour dispute, the Senators are offering all merchandise at all Sens store locations at 50% off, running through the Senators' first game of the regular season on Monday, January 21, 2013. This official team shop serves the east end of the the Capital City. The Sens Store at Place d'Orléans, is on the ground floor, near The Bay, the washrooms and the elevator. In the past, I haven't found the staff particularly friendly or talkative. Perhaps the staff believes that I am just trying to shop, so they leave me alone. Different strokes for different folks I guess. I think the average client expects customer service. If I were in charge, I would expect the staff to be very knowlegeable and enthusiastic about the product. Atleast one staff member should exude confidence and a solid understanding about the team and the merchandise. Keep in mind that I consider myself a ridiculous fan. For the average fan, The Sens Store basically has just about anything you might want as Senators merchandise is concerned. The store is expensive, but that's to be expected for legit Ottawa Senators staples. Depending on the time of year, there is usually a good selection of gear, hats, trinkets, and souvenirs. I have always found it puzzling that they don't offer more display items, like framed autographed lithographs and photos. A showcase filled with autographed hockey cards, pucks and sticks would display well. My youngest children enjoy the super-duper sized, six foot Spartacat bobblehead. The Senators offered a great assortment of Sparty plush this Christmas. If don't live close to Scotiabank Place, this is the spot to get tickets - eliminating most of those irksome fees. You save $4 in "Convenience Charges" per ticket, and completely eliminate the order and delivery charges. Every one is so fortuitous to pay the $3 Capital Replacement Fee (CRF) per ticket. 8/30 - Yelp Ottawa's 30 Day Challenge!

What a lovely store. The owner is so attentive and helpful…read more Store has lots of new clothes and high end consignment pieces. The new clothing pieces are high end and so reasonably priced. Bought a gorgeous little black dress very upscale style. Lots of fun pieces to try. Right beside C'est tout bakery. Worth a stop!!