Many shops are found along Princess Street or in malls (a large building with many stores), sometimes called “Shopping Centres.” Most of the malls are in the west end of Kingston and you will need to use a car or bus to get to them.
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General Information
In Kingston, there are many different types of stores and sales which sell goods of varying types, quality and price. The following are a few points to remember:
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Products in stores will have prices marked on the display or the products themselves. It is not customary to negotiate about the price of goods at most stores.
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Tax (Harmonized Sales Tax or HST) is payable on almost everything you buy, so the price you actually pay is the advertised price plus 13 percent (in the province of Ontario). That means that a $10.00 item will actually cost you $11.30.
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If you have any questions about the price or a product, ask the salespeople in the stores.
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Some Places to Shop
Used Clothes, Furniture, Housewares, etc.
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low price, little variety, old styles and modern styles
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check the quality carefully before you buy the item
Salvation Army Thrift Store, 558 Princess Street
clothes, furniture, housewares
Phase 2, 353 Princess Street
clothes, some items are expensive here.
Turk’s, 281 Princess Street
furniture, music
St. Vincent de Paul, 85-85A Stephen Street
clothing, furniture
North Kingston Community Council Free Clothing Drop-In, 145 Kirkpatrick Street (basement of Queen Elizabeth Collegiate Vocational Institute):
clothing, books, housewares
Neighbourhood Sharing, 670 Front Road
low-cost clothing
Value Village, 412 Bath Road
clothing, books, housewares, some furniture
Garage Sales, Yard Sales, Flea Markets, or Rummage Sales
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sales are usually held in front of homes or apartments and are very visible from the street (mostly in the Spring and Summer).
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these sales occur at people’s homes where the owners have looked through all their possessions and have decided to sell the items they no longer want.
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low prices (you may be able to bargain here), not a wide variety, old and modern items
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check quality carefully before buying, as the sellers seldom accept returns or refunds
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to find out where and when a garage sale is on, look at the last few pages (known as the classified ads) of the Kingston Whig Standard and Kingston This Week newspapers, or on signs posted on bulletin boards or in your neighbourhood
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find the street on a map of Kingston and walk, ride or drive along until you pass by the sale; if a phone number is posted, you can call and ask for directions
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be sure you are able to transport the items home
Dollar Stores
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prices are low - everything usually under $5.00
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good variety of household items, stationery, toys and more
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items may be of limited quality
Dollarama, 176 Princess Street
Discount Department Stores
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prices are relatively low, the variety of items is usually wide
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you can find almost anything at one of these stores
Giant Tiger, 811 Princess St. and 1412 Bath Rd.
Zellers, Cataraqui Town Centre, 945 Gardiners Rd.
It is sometimes wiser to shop at specialty stores than at discount stores, since the specialty stores will have better experience and goods than other general discount stores. This is particularly important when the items considered are high-technology (example: computers, audio/visual equipment) and require warranties or special setups.
Department Stores
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found in malls
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a variety of reasonable quality items; prices can be high
Sears, Cataraqui Town Centre, 945 Gardiners Rd.
The Bay, Cataraqui Town Centre, 945 Gardiners Rd.
Specialty Stores
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these are stores that sell only one thing (such as clothing or shoes or furniture) and the salespeople are very knowledgeable about the items they are selling
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the items at these stores are usually more expensive than in discount stores
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clothing stores are mainly in malls but there are some downtown
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furniture stores are generally located in the west end of Kingston
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look in the "yellow pages" at the back of your telephone book for the item you want, to find a list of stores that sell these items
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Shopping Effectively
Look for notices from students who are leaving Kingston and are selling their furniture and appliances cheaply in order to get rid of them. Better yet, talk to other students to find out if they know someone who has completed their studies at Queen’s and will keep you in mind when they want to sell their things. The Queen's University International Centre (QUIC) has a place for these postings. If you are interested in putting up a poster please ask about our postering policy at the QUIC Reception Office. The Alma Mater Society (AMS) also runs an online marketplace for students to both find and post goods for sale.
Other sites to buy and sell used goods include Kijiji and Craigslist Note: These sites are not affiliated with Queen's. Items listed may not be exactly as advertised.
In the newspapers, there are advertising supplements (flyers) from stores which have sales every week. Very often, a common item will go on sale (a reduced price) once every few weeks. Therefore, if you need to buy something which costs a considerable amount, try waiting until you see it on sale.