While exploring ByWard Market, I came across The Crazy Moose of Ottawa. I'm a tourist. It had…read moreclothing and souvenirs for tourists. Perfect! There's a huge moose decked in a buffalo plaid vest and hat that you encounter when you walk in. A lot of clothing, from full-zip hoodies, to t-shirts that either have Ottawa or Canada on them, can be found in this store, among other merchandise. Prices are decent. You can get a t-shirt for $10. The quality is pretty good for the price that you pay. You can also get maple syrup, ice wine chocolate, plushies, and more. There's a clearance section at the back of the store. A male staffer was talking to his female counterpart about some person who came into the store and caused a disturbance. He made mention of filing a grievance with the police. He then left the store. i had found a t-shirt that I liked. I went to pay for it. The woman at the counter said that it was cash only. There was a payment machine on the counter. Interesting. I let her know that it was unfortunate that it was strictly cash. I put the article of clothing away and left this store. As a tourist, I don't carry a wad of cash on me. As a Canadian, I don't either. It's such a ridiculous restriction placed on tourists and shoppers who want convenience and don't want to handle cash post-pandemic. This store does not have an ATM to withdraw cash. Instead, you need to walk over to Rideau Street to find a bank, figure out how much money you need to withdraw, and head back to this store to make a purchase. Highly inconvenient. If you are dying to make a purchase here, I recommend arming yourself with cash before dropping by. Otherwise, don't come here thinking that you can use a debit or credit card to make a purchase. (309)

When I was in the store looking for T-shirts for gifts, I needed help but the clerks were all…read moresitting on counters at the cash area playing video games. I walked out of the store.

The store is an absolute delight! The staff are so friendly and helpful. They will personalize your…read morepurchase perfectly. So much attention to detail goes into both of the shops. This season, it's even more important to buy local. Give this place a look. It will immediately put you in the Christmas spirit and make 2020 a little more merry and bright.

This is my happy place hands-down. Run by the amazing, patient and kind Audy, I discovered…read moreTinseltown on an emergency off-season Christmas buying spree for a local film and have been back every single time I've been in Ottawa. Audy also curates a lovely everyday gift collection next door, all of which would look perfect in my house. Audy, please open a Los Angeles branch stat!!!

I finally found those glass ball ornaments I've been looking for... right here under my nose! Mind…read moreyou, they were about $40. I shop in this mall mostly for the grocery store, and I often forget to look up from my grocery list! This Hallmark store reminds me of the old Curiosity Shop that used to be in the Farm Boy Market Square in Kanata, where the other Farm Boy is, and the Bulk Barn and LCBO are also located. This store also sells decorations, and offers seasonal specialties such as Christmas ornaments. TONS of gift ideas in here! Every once in a while I need a gift that is "general", with a card. Something to say "Thank You", "I appreciate it", or "get well soon". I'm entering this review as a place-marker for me, so that I remember to come back here. I will return.

My wife and I absolutely love shopping at the Hallmark Davis Agency in Stittsville. It is not the…read moreone closest to us but it is the only Hallmark store we have frequented for many years because of the incredible range of quality cards and giftware it carries. We are always warmly greeted by the friendly staff who strike the perfect balance between being so helpful if needed and allowing you to browse at your leisure in their store. The store manager, Carole, and her employee Sherry have become our friends over the years and they make each visit special.

This sweet little Orleans shop is a welcome addition to a neighbourhood filled with chains and big…read morebox stores. With a whimsical design and lovely decor, it's such a pleasure walking in here. Their selection of gifts is beautiful, and you're sure to find something special for yourself, or a special someone. Their gifts are Canadian-made, and they have great options for new babies, anniversaries, weddings, showers, and more. They also have a sweet children's section with beautiful toys and stuffed animals. This is totally the kind of place I would pick up a birthday present for the little ones in my life. If you're in the east end and looking for something personal that is high quality, and Canadian made, check this place out.

I had walked by this shop many times before hearing that they now sold Split Tree Cocktail Mix (a…read morelocal maker's cocktail mixes which I may or may not be addicted to). I ventured into this shop not really knowing what I would find inside but let me tell you it is a dream to have a store like this in Orleans. I have visited the store a few times now and love that they seem to be adding more and more locally made products every day. You can find a lot of great gift ideas and unique items in this little shop. I highly recommend picking up some Split Tree Cocktail mix - whether you drink it with alcohol or just add it to your club soda it makes for a very refreshing beverage. I love that I can support a local store and a local maker at the same time. I try not to spend too long browsing because it is the type of store I could see myself spending lots of money in. The decor is very lovely and welcoming. I love the bicycle they put out! If you are in Orleans definitely worth stopping into this cute little place!

If you have kids, then you know that finding a great kids clothing store is SO important. The store…read moremust be easily accessible (hey, strollers are hell to steer), offer clothes that make your kid look cool (got to impress the other parents), and it must be cheap, cheap, cheap! I found such a place at Billings Bridge Mall - Growing Kids. The clothes are really hip (a mini Sens jersey anyone???) and they have these pretty princess dresses for your little princess!!! The prices are very cool and they have sales all the time. The day I went in, everything was 25% off! It is around the corner from the LCBO and near the exit by Independent Grocery.

Went to Growing Kids today for the first time and was very pleasantly impressed. I wanted to get my…read moredaughter a nice dressy Easter dress as we are going to a swanky restaurant hotel on Easter day for brunch. We found two dresses at the store that we both fell in love with and a bonus was that they had all the accessories to go with her outfit. Nice white nylons and the sales assistant, Evelyn, helped my daughter try on a variety of different shoes. The prices were very reasonable and there was no hard sell. Evelyn, really took the time to connect with my daughter and find out what we both were looking for. She took a lot of care wrapping the special dresses in clothes bags and making sure that my daughter felt very special too. We had a super girls time in this store and will definitely consider coming back when we are looking for dressy clothes on another occasion. Saw lots of nice duds for the boys here too. Thanks Evelyn you are one of the stars in Ottawa retail.

Great location in the South Keyes Centrum. Lots of supplies for pretty much any hobby or craft you…read moremight be in to. This location also has a big seasonal section with lots of house decorations. As with all Michael's locations, sales are frequent here and usually worth your time (buy one get one free, or 40% off type of deals). Don't forget your coupons as well!

Although it's liike pulling teeth to even try to convince me to head into Miichael's, I have to…read moreadmit that they have a tonne of stuff that, although you may not need, you'll always walk out with an arm-load... This particular location is always clean, and the staff are very helpful. There is a framing department near the back of the store, and even have a customer bathroom. Try to avoid weekends as they get pretty busy, but other than having to whine and stomp my feet to convince my significant other to finally leave the store, I've never really had a bad experience xD

Trove Fashion is a consignment shop in Hintonburg. I walk by it all the time, but only went in for…read morethe first time with my friend visiting from out of town. I was showing her around the neighbourhood and it was a scorcher of a summer day, so we went in partially for a reprieve from the heat, lol. The space is a bit smaller than I expected from the outside. I found the prices high and the items were mostly just regular clothes. I didn't see any unique pieces. I like consignment shops for unusual pieces, like asymmetric styles, oversized zippers, grommets, origami pleats, etc. I didn't see any at Trove. They do have a mix of luxury brands and more contemporary brands. They had a cute Burberry bag. Staff greet you when you enter, but pretty much leave you alone to browse, which I definitely prefer to salespeople who follow you around asking if you need help, lol. It's not quite my cup of tea, but don't let that deter you from visiting. I always enjoy having more fashion choices in the neighbourhood. Street parking only.

I was fortunate to spend a day checking out stores with a friend in neighbourhoods that I had never…read morefrequented. As luck would have it, we were outside on one of the hotter days that week. As someone who doesn't do well in such conditions for long periods, we often ducked into stores to enjoy their air conditioning while satisfying our shopping curiosity. Trove Fashion was one such business. It was one of two consignment stores that we dropped by. It's located in Hintonburg, a pretty trendy part of the city. I will admit that I don't visit consignment shops often. However, I do enjoy browsing to get style ideas and see what folks have previously loved that may be a valuable wardrobe addition to others. My first thought when I saw the available fitting rooms was how stylish they were. The full-length mirror with beautiful lighting, a side table with accents, and a chair made it feel like you were at home, in your bedroom, trying on items. So classy! The shoe section was pretty decent. There were a few size 11 shoes that looked cool. Looking at these shoes and sandals was almost a premonition to get a new pair of sandals on this trip! As you'd expect with clothing, some items were cool and classy, and others were articles that I would never touch with any pole within arm's length. I liked a cute burnt orange skirt with rounded edges. It had a lot of character. Prices vary, but I find that they run on the higher end at this store. There were a pair of burgundy high heels that were going for $225. To be frank, I don't own a pair of shoes that go into triple digits. It was enjoyable browsing around. The air conditioning was effective. I may need to add air conditioning as a criterion in my summer reviews now... haha (251)

Hottest addition to the local fashion scene in Ottawa. Tallow has the best selection of modern boho…read moreand cool girl trends. I have purchased some of my favourite clothes here! PRO TIP- lots of great swimwear and vacation necessities!