|
|
| Home > City Guide - Calgary - Shopping | ||
|
||
|
Shopping As a shopping destination, Calgary offers visitors the opportunity to buy something that captures the flavour of the city and country – like maple syrup or a leather belt from a country market – along with sophisticated boutique products that one would expect to find in any major international city. The main shopping district is in Downtown Calgary (notably along Stephen Avenue Walk), a pedestrian walkway lined with historic buildings that house shops, galleries and restaurants. Nearby, a number of shopping malls, including TD Square, the Calgary Eaton Centre and Penny Lane Mall, are all linked by plus-15s to create a five-block super-complex offering over 400 stores. The range includes retail chains, department stores and speciality boutiques. The city centre’s best-known retail asset, however, is the Eau Claire Market, Second Street at Second Avenue SW (website: www.eauclairemarket.com), with an interior that houses restaurants and a small fresh-food market, around which are lined a variety of speciality shops and kiosks. More upmarket shopping can be found at Uptown 17th Avenue, with fashion boutiques, antique stores and Mount Royal Village (website: www.shopsofmountroyal.com) – one of the city’s more high-end malls. The Chinook Centre (website: www.chinookcentre.com), south of Downtown at the intersection of Macleod Trail and Glenmore Trail, has over 200 shops, an entertainment wing and claims to have the largest food court in Canada. Shopaholics should consider the three-hour drive north to Edmonton, where the West Edmonton Mall (website: www.westedmontonmall.com), the world’s largest, contains over 800 shops, a water park, theme park, ice rink and hotels. For cowboy boots and Western gear, there are Riley & McCormick stores at 220 Stephen Avenue Walk, in the Eau Claire Market and at the airport (website: www.realcowboys.com). Other unique gifts with a local flavour can be found at The Mounted Police Store, 200 Barclay Parade SW, and at Cottage Craft, 6503 Elbow Drive SW, which has a good selection of Inuit and native art. One thing that makes Calgary a compelling destination for shoppers is the fact that the Province of Alberta charges no provincial sales tax, resulting in better shopping value than in other Canadian provinces. Nevertheless, a federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 7% is charged but can be redeemed by non-residents for purchases and short-term accommodation totalling over C$200 (minimum C$50 per individual receipt). The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (tel: (902) 432 5608 or (800) 668 4748; website: www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/visitors) should be contacted for further information and forms. Private companies such as International Tax Refund Services (tel: (403) 948 4005; website: www.itrs.com) charge a fee for providing this service. Stores are open seven days a week, normally 1000-1800, although often as late as 2200 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (especially at suburban shopping malls). Sunday shopping hours are 1100/1200-1700. |
||
