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Toronto prides itself on having some of the finest shopping in North America. Indeed, most of the world's name boutiques have branches here, especially in the Yorkville area, where you can find such luxury labels as Chanel, Prada, and Cartier. For those a little leaner of wallet, you can join in one of Torontonians' favorite pastimes: bargain hunting. Locals wear discount threads like badges of honor and stretch their dollar at Winners—where overstocked and liquidated designer pieces and last-season fashions are slashed to a fraction of their original retail prices.
Toronto has a large arts-and-crafts community, with numerous art galleries, custom jewelers, clothing designers, and artisans. Sophisticated glass sculpture and Inuit art are ideal as gifts or for your own home. A few record stores are still going strong despite the dominance of digital music. The survivors’ trump card has been focused inventory and knowledgeable staff—head to Rotate This for alterative and indie music or Atelier Grigorian for classical and jazz. Bookstores such as Indigo have lounge areas where you can sip a coffee from the in-store café while perusing books by Canadian authors such as Alice Munro, Ann-Marie MacDonald, and Rohinton Mistry; don’t miss favorite independent Book City.
When it comes to department stores, all roads lead to Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street West, the epicenter of Toronto's designer shopping. A mere block east is the more mid-price department store The Bay. A second Bay can be found across from Eaton Centre, a sprawling shopping complex with multilevel parking in the heart of the city.
You can almost satisfy your sweet tooth just by inhaling the delicate wafts of chocolate, dried fruits, and roasted nuts in this gourmet chocolate shop that specializes in fair-trade ingredients. Big sellers include truffles, mango chili and raspberry fruit bars, and gelato. For something different, try the Bicerin, a thick mixture of melted chocolate, espresso, and whipped cream.
A Beach institution, the Nutty Chocolatier serves ice cream on waffle cones (made in-house daily), as well as handmade molded chocolates and truffles. Even though their house-made sweets are delicious, the sizable selection of imported candy and treats from the United Kingdom and other parts of the globe have an equally devoted following.
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