Shopping in Toronto may be a foreign experience when you first relocate to the city, but once you know the in’s and out’s of Canadian shopping, it will be a breeze.

Supermarkets in Toronto:
IGA is one of the biggest supermarkets in Toronto, along with Metro and Loblaws. A prominent brand stocked throughout supermarkets in Toronto is Presidents Choice, which makes a wide variety of food and drink products. As well as stocking regular dry food and household items, supermarkets in Toronto also all have delicatessens, fresh fruit and veg sections, bakeries, fresh seafood and seasonal items. Certainly considered a plus, many of the city’s supermarkets also have a dry cleaner, bank machine, and some even offer cooking classes!

Pharmacies in Toronto:
Pharmacies in Toronto do not only offer prescriptions and household remedies for sicknesses and health care. In fact, you can find almost anything in these pharmacies, from perfume, make-up and hair care, to occasion cards, snacks and cameras. Shoppers Drug Mart is one of the biggest pharmacies in Toronto. You will find most brand-name cosmetics here, such as Almay, Biotherm, Essie, Lancôme, Neutrogena, many perfume brands, and a selection of dog, cat, baby, and food products. Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall Pharma Plus are much the same, and you will also find these chains in Ontario. Each of the pharmacies in Toronto have their own “home brand”, which offers a cheaper alternative in many cosmetic and care products.

Alcohol in Toronto:
The sale of alcohol in Toronto is a provincially run businesses, as it is in all of Ontario. Alcohol in Toronto is mostly done by the government-subsidized store, and only allow sales to be contracted out to a few private businesses, mostly in rural areas. Alcohol in Toronto, such as wine, beer and hard liquor can be bought at the LCBO. In addition to the LCBO, The Beer Store is a good place to buy beer, and Wine Rack stocks many varieties of wine.

Other Shopping in Toronto:
When it comes more specific, clothing, home, knick-knack and personal needs for shopping in Toronto there is plenty of choice:

  • The large department stores are The Bay and Sears, which have home, men’s and women’s clothing, cosmetics, electronics and furniture – Holt Renfrew is a high-end department store.
  • There are Canadian Tire, Home Depot, and Rona, which are home hardware stores full of what you’ll need seasonally for your car, home and garden.
  • For less expensive and fully stocked stores, from food and car care, to underwear and t-shirt, there is Walmart, Dollarama (which is the largest dollar store chain in the country), Zellers, Winners (part of the USA’s TJX chains) and Costco (for bulk purchasing).

Learn more

For more information about living and eating in Toronto, check out these helpful articles and links:

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