Shopping Overview

Montrealers magasinent (shop) with a vengeance, so it's no surprise that the city has 160 multifaceted retail areas encompassing some 7,000 stores. The law allows shops to stay open weekdays 9-9 and weekends 9-5. However, many merchants close evenings Monday through Wednesday and on Sunday. Many specialty service shops are closed Monday as well. Just about all stores, with the exception of some bargain outlets and a few art and antiques galleries, accept major credit cards. Most purchases are subject to a federal goods-and-services tax (GST) of 6% as well as a provincial tax of 7.5%.

Montréal is one of the fur capitals of the world. If you think you might be buying fur, it's wise to check with your country's customs officials before your trip to find out which animals are considered endangered and cannot be imported. The same caveat applies to collectors of Inuit ivory carvings, which cannot be imported into the United States or other countries. If you do buy Inuit carvings, whether they're made of ivory or soapstone, look for the government of Canada's igloo symbol, which attests to the piece's authenticity.