Vancouver
Downtown: Core
Pacific Centre 700 West Georgia Street 604.688.7235
Royal Centre 1055 West Georgia Street 604.689.1711 The epicentre of downtown Vancouver's major mall and outdoor shopping experiences is the intersection of West Georgia and Granville Streets. The city's giant main department stores, The Bay and Sears, dominate two corners of the intersection, with the alternate corners providing access to the underground all-weather shopping facilities of the Pacific Centre, which houses the upscale Holt Renfrew department store and popular fashion outlets like Gap, Esprit and Club Monaco. Beneath the nearby Royal Bank tower and the Hyatt Regency Hotel, two blocks away at the intersection of Georgia and Burrard, are entrances to Royal Centre Mall. Like the Pacific Centre, many of the stores here focus on fashion, with an emphasis on upscale clothing, designer jewellery and high-end shoes and accessories.
John Fluevog Boots and Shoes 837 Granville Street 604.688.2828 The short stretch along Granville Street between Robson and Smithe contains an eclectic array of trendy counter-culture stores selling comic books, retro-70s clothing and ironic style statements for a predominantly under-30s crowd. John Fluevog Boots and Shoes is a Vancouver-based worldwide design phenomenon.
Downtown: West Hastings
Sinclair Centre Corner of Hastings & Granville Streets 757 West Hastings Street 604.683.1131 Sinclair Centre, on Hastings between Howe and Granville, is actually four restored landmark heritage buildings joined via the innovative addition of a glass roof. Here, 20 upscale boutiques offer everything from swanky pens to pricey haute couture from both Canadian and overseas designers. Sinclair Centre houses elite stores like Leone and Plaza Escada, and has a well-stocked food court that is a less-crowded alternative to its Pacific Centre neighbour.