Back in Carleton Place, ON this afternoon and thought I'd pop in at Thrift King on Franklin St. I…read morehad things to donate loaded in my car since the weekend and with a cloudy day, what better way to spend a few hours than looking for something special at my favourite op-shop. I was actually hoping to find a shower curtain to update mine but nothing struck my fancy. Since I was in the mood for looking at household items, I browsed the kitchenware section and then noticed the clothing rack at the front of the store. If you are doing Zoom meetings or engaging with family members on Skype or other apps, you know that you are always in need of colourful tops--blouses, T-shirts, sweaters, and of course, scarves. Light, frothy tops layered over a camisole are perfect for summer Zooms and as when the temps cool in the evening, a long-sleeve, form-fitting spandex garment can be worn underneath. O la la, c'est très chic!. Along with several blouses, I noticed a boho bag that looked as if it might be from the sixties. Then, as I was rushing out the door to dash between the raindrops, my eye caught a multi-strand, copper necklace. The jewellery section is sort of hidden along a wall near the coffee cup section and might be a bit tangled from my last visit but well-worth a looksee.

Don't let the appearance turn you away. The Thrift King has top end treasures, specializing in…read moreChildren's clothing, Kitchen Ware and small appliances.

The second my friend got engaged I couldn't WAIT to go dress shopping with her. We researched a…read morebunch of places in and around the Ottawa area and decided to add Sinders to our list of shops to try. Dress shopping can be a little bit intimidating as each store has different rules and regulations as to how they operate (whether you need an appointment, if you're allowed to pull your own dresses, etc, etc...). Neither my friend nor I are pros at wedding dress shopping, so we were kind of out of our element. They were very welcoming at Sinders and allowed us to pull the dresses we liked from the racks. The stylist that was assisting us, Debbie, also made suggestions, but it wasn't done in a pushy way at all. She was fantastic at selecting dresses that flattered my friend's figure and she made the task of selecting the perfect dress far less daunting! My friend ended up finding her dress at Sinders and the process was thoroughly enjoyable! BONUS: They offer 10% off the bridesmaids dresses if you buy your wedding dress from them. :)

I cannot recommend Sinders to anyone shopping for bridesmaid dresses…read more While the dresses are beautiful, the Customer Service is absolutely terrible. Each time we visited, we were not helped nor greeted for at least 10 minutes, and when we finally were acknowledged, we felt like an inconvenience every time - even with our appointment booked ahead of time. The Sales Assistant helping us the day we purchased was very rude to one girl. This girl felt bullied over her size, even though she is not large, and felt coerced into buying two sizes too big. The Sales Assistant did not seem to really give her an option to order her proper size, and proceeded to tell her a dress was too small for her as she had to hold it up in place because it was too large. When the dresses finally came in, we were appalled at how large this girl's dress was on her - at least two sizes too big, as we had thought. The new Sales Assistant that we had asked her why on earth she had ordered a dress so big. This girl almost burst into tears, she was so insulted and frustrated. The Sales Assistant proceeded to try and convince her that the dress was easily fixed. It might be an 'easy' fix, but it will cost as it is massive on her. Major hemming, major take-ins around the bust and waist, etc. The material was swimming around her. The worst part of all of this is that neither Sales Assistants would listen to the girl or myself as we advocated our preferences and opinions. We respected their expertise and sales savviness, but when something is clearly too large, the customer can tell - particularly when there is excess material or the dress is falling down. We felt that our thoughts were being blatantly ignored and that we were not being listened to as the Customer. I cannot recommend this place until they improve their Customer Service. The dresses, however, are beautiful, and we are appreciative of that.

It's amazing to find these great big box malls way out in the Sticks, but I'm really glad this…read moreplaza is here! The Walmart is the biggest occupant, but there's also a Bulk Barn, Dollarama, EBGames, a nail place, and a dentist's office. Most often, we go to the Walmart and Bulk Barn in this mall. The service is good in both places. I find it refreshing to occasionally go to a different outlet of the chain stores I usually frequent, as sometimes they have different items on the shelves (although not necessarily better sales!) or sometimes a little different layout. This is a shopping centre that I will keep in mind for the times I find myself in Carleton Place. It's relatively new, and clean.

Verna is an employee that truly loves to harass customers. I have been truly bothered by her on 3…read moreseparate occasions now. I will never return to Walmart because of her. She accused me of stealing, which of course I didn't and I didn't receive an apology. Also likes to lecture customers at the self checkout on how to self check out correctly. Stands beside them and nags them on dumb "procedures". If Walmart isn't going to have more cashiers available, and pay a living wage, then leave me alone about product placement when I'm legit doing the job of a cashier. I am a paying customer, and being treated like a criminal. Verna loves to power trip.

Grossly understaffed. Rude and incompetent staff that ARE there. Waited 20min with a wild line…read morebuilding up. So, was forced to check out without my problem resolved. A row of items were marked $7. I took one up for purchase and it came up $19. I went and took a picture to show at checkout. She called the manager. 20min later (now 30min for a $7 item) he slowly waddled up. We showed the picture and his response is that it was in the wrong place. Someone had stocked the shelf wrong with the items. He wouldn't honour the mis marked price after making us wait 30min for resolution. He was rude and wouldn't even give a woman the respect of eye contact or any apology for making me wait 30min. Horrible customer service all around even for a Walmart!

Bought some PC organic milk, 2L Carton, due on April 19 today and it was off. Frustrating as we…read morehad to go elsewhere to get more milk. Is the milk properly stored? Many items are more expensive than other Independent stores. I am shopping there less and less. Their chocalitine butter croissants have so much glazing and icing sugar and can no longer be purchase as single items but has to be purchased as a package. Instead theoir display is filled with very sugary donuts. They should be promoting healthier items at their bakery. Their produce is more expensive than other places so I go elsewhere to buy these items. Ther is less and less every day that I buy there, especially over the past few years when new management took over.

I've only been in the store a handful of times and every single time, I leave feeling dissatisfied…read more The staff - especially the front end - must be very unhappy with their jobs because they're unfriendly.

We don't get to go to a Freshco all that often as there are none in our neighbourhood. Once in a…read morewhile, if and when we are out and about and happen to be near one when we need something (like when they occasionally have something in their flyer or on flipp that catches our eye) we will stop in to pick it up. Freshco to me seems to be a bit like a no-frills, maybe just a bit better. (Incidentally they are building a NF in my 'hood!) Overall, it's ok, but not my favourite. On the upside, you need practical and affordable groceries, and this chain served the need on this day.

The cashier, S****y is extremely rude and passive! She continuously rolled her eyes when I asked…read moreabout applying for a job there. I will never be shopping at this location again and will continue to tell my friends and family about my horrible experience

There are a couple of things that I can't turn down…read more 1. Supporting local businesses 2. Buying baby things for my son 3. Getting a good deal on things. The owner of the store somehow knows where everything is in her unorganized (BUT CLEAN) store. "You need a sleep sack? Go to the back corner to the right but not too right underneath the purple dinosaur and newborn clothes"

I patronize the Carleton Place store all the time and the lady from San Francisco who wrote the…read morenegative review is not being truthful. There is no way any employee would be snapping or yelling at customers. The manager is loud and I wish she would be more discreet but she's not rude or nasty...just loud. The store is clean and the staff is polite.

I love the Bulk Barn! Most often, I purchase caramels for that little dish I leave out at work, and…read moreI'm so impressed with how quickly these disappear! But you would have to admit that they are sooo nice when they're fresh! I buy spices and a variety of nuts for cooking and baking, and I prefer to buy them in bulk when you can smell how fresh they are, instead of being mass produced, and sold at the grocery store. Who knows how long they have been packaged? The staff at the Bulk Barns I've been to are all knowledgeable and friendly. Bulk Barn has recently introduced a greener way to shop: you bring in your own jars (or you can purchase some here), go to the cash and get it / them weighed, then go fill up your jars with whatever you need. They take the weight of the jar off at the cash. BB also sells reusable cotton bags (ok - with their logo on it, but I use mine all the time, for lunch or whatever). And they give coupons on a monthly basis, to give $10 off for purchases over $30. I will definitely be back.