Month by Month - Vancouver - page 65

is like a lifestyle store for artsy types, with clever contemporary knickknacks and large
art topics to leave on your coffee table and impress guests.
NEED TO KNOW
Opening Hours
Typical downtown retail hours are from 10am to 5pm or 6pm Monday to
Saturday, and from noon to 5pm Sunday. Independent stores in neighborhoods
such as Main St and Commercial Dr typically don't open until 11am (noon on
Sundays). Some stores and malls may stay open later on Fridays and Saturdays,
especially during the Christmas season.
Consumer Taxes
The price on most items in shops does not include tax, which is added when you
take it to the cash register to pay. The recently reinstated Provincial Sales Tax
(PST) adds 7% to the cost of most items. The rate is 10% for alcohol, while there
are some items - such as basic groceries - where no tax is charged at all.
Shopping by Neighborhood
» Downtown & West End Mainstream fashion boutiques on Robson St and in Pacific
Centre mall.
» Gastown & Chinatown Independent fashion and homewares shops.
» Yaletown & Granville Island Swish boutiques in Yaletown; artisan studios on the is-
land.
» Commercial Drive Eclectic fashions, vintage stores and hippy-esque shops.
» Main Street Local indie fashions, especially south of 18th Ave.
» Fairview & South Granville Independent stores on Cambie St; private galleries and
swish boutiques on South Granville.
» Kitsilano & University of British Columbia (UBC) Hit Kitsilano's West 4th Ave for
boutiques and homewares.