Shopping

There is great diversity offered in the shops in Waterloo Region.  You can shop at farmer’s markets, ethnic food shops, artisan or craft shops, thrift shops, large grocery stores, shopping centres, big box stores, and factory outlets.  There are also many excellent restaurants.

There are many, great shopping places in Waterloo Region:

• Supermarkets have many kinds of foods.  Larger food stores carry clothes or other items as well as ethnic foods. 
• Farmer's Markets offer fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally.  The Buy Local! Buy Fresh! Map lists farms in Waterloo Region where you can buy fresh and organic local foods. 
• The downtowns of the Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge and villages within Waterloo Region are great places for shopping that may include ethnic food shops and artisan shops. 
• Shopping Centres have many stores in the same building or the same area.  Some of these are the Cambridge Centre in Cambridge, Conestoga Mall in Waterloo, Fairview Mall in Kitchener, and St. Jacob’s Factory Outlet Mall in Woolwich.
• Ethnic Food Stores have foods from specific ethnic backgrounds.
• Thrift or Second-hand Stores sell clothes, furniture and other used household items.  Food banks and some community centres and organizations may provide emergency food help (like "food hampers" or community food cupboards).

Buying Goods and Services

In Canada there are usually fixed prices for goods or services.  Merchants can charge whatever they want and usually barter only over very expensive items.

You will usually pay taxes in addition to the listed or advertised cost of an item.

You can pay cash, usually credit card or debit card, and sometimes by cheque.  If you pay by cheque, you will need to show identification that has a photograph of you on it. 

For more information…

• Explore Waterloo Region has a list of other local shopping places.
• Find out more about shopping at Settlement.Org