Note that as of November 2023, they are no longer at 255 Richmond Rd but are at 358 Richmond Rd…read morenow, it's just down the street a bit further west. The new location also has free parking but behind the store instead of in front. The parking access is via Danforth. Rikochet Resale is a consignment store. I like the layout of the new location better. The entrance is long and narrow but when you walk towards the back it opens up and is quite spacious. They have a mix of contemporary and luxury items. They have women's clothing, shoes, purses, jewelry and other accessories. I like that it doesn't smell musty in there and everything is organized by size and colour as well as type (e.g. coats, dresses, pants, etc.). Prices are satisfactory for people who usually pay regular retail prices. I am a bargain shopper extraordinaire, so I was less impressed with the prices. For example, I saw a used Kipling purse for $75. I saw the exact same purse at Marshalls last week brand new for $50. I saw a pair of cute Sorel boots for $150 (in my size too), they were in good shape, but obviously used. Winners regularly has brand new Sorel boots for $100-$175, and I've gotten them on clearance for as low as $40. I also scored brand new Sorel boots at Nordstrom Rack once for $25. Full disclosure, I'm a women's size 5 in shoes. Being a less common size helps with scoring deals. Anyway, I'm hard to impress when it comes to deals because of my track record, lol, so others may consider something a deal when I do not. They do have some unique pieces. I spotted a cute Caty Lesca (French brand) dress. I love European styles and I like finding brands that aren't readily available here in Canada. Staff are nice. They greet you, but then leave you alone to browse, which I like. They have a colour-coded tag system. Some colours have additional discounts such as 10%, 25% or 50% off. The legend is located on the wall behind the cash register. It's a bit small and far away. I would recommend they make it bigger or post it somewhere where it's more visible, like at The Clothes Secret in Old Ottawa South.

I consigned with them for the first time. I was on time to…read morepick up my clothes that didn't sell and they give you a list and you have to go find the clothes on the floor. One of the shirts was missing and I looked everywhere. I told them it was missing and was told, "Well if you don't want to look for it, that's on you." Incredibly bad customer service and I would recommend reading the reviews before you decide to trust them with your clothes.

So continues my Covid-19 Pandemic series of reviews. Since I am not out and about visiting new…read moreplaces, I am reviewing places I have been to in the past, when times were normal, pre-Covid-19 Pandemic. This review is for Aldo. Since they are not an essential service, they are currently closed during the Pandemic, but Aldo is a big company so I am hopeful that they will pull through and reopen when this Pandemic is over. This location is technically an outlet store, but they have a combination of regular priced items from their newest season and clearance items from past seasons. Aldo is a Canadian brand founded in Montreal. They sell mostly shoes and handbags, but also some costume jewelry and accessories like hats and scarves. Over the years the quality has gone down in my opinion. Aldo shoes from 20+ years ago were made in Portugal and Spain. Nowadays they are made in China. So if you're poking around some vintage shop and spot some Aldo shoes with their old triangle logo, they will be much better quality than the stuff you see in Aldo stores now ;) I've stopped buying shoes at Aldo about 15 years ago, but I still like their quirky purses (which aren't the best quality IMO but I don't mind this for novelty purses). I have a purse shaped like a chocolate bar, a bag of liquorice, a fish, a giant camera, a license plate, a bottle of perfume, and a book, all from Aldo, and most from this location at College Square. I'm giving them 4 stars because they have the cutest novelty bags, and they are much less expensive than Kate Spade or even Betsey Johnson, which are really the only 2 other brands that make lots of novelty purses. This location is fairly large. Staff are nice enough. Lots of free parking in the plaza.

Dave turned an old family gold setting into a beautiful ring for me that I love wearing!read more

Just a statement to say how satisfied we are. My son is travelling from country to country. He…read morewanted to propose and asked me to help him find the right ring. The problem is he knows exactly what she will like. After visiting some places in Canada, online and in Barcelona and France where he was, he decided he will give her a custom ring. It was an other level, I went to all stores, sometimes it was the price sometimes it was something else. I went to the internet and found the name of David Congers. I called him, a very calm, confident voice. I felt that he really wanted to help me and knew what he was talking about. The problem is that during the pandemic, he closed his store and was working from home. The first time I went to his house, he was scared of me and I was scared of him. Showing diamond in a garage was not to reassure me. My phone died and I asked him if I could charge it inside his house, I could feel that he was not confortable to let me in. To make a story short, I showed him a model. He showed me a diamond that my son was thrilled about. We discussed prices and settled. When the time comes to deliver we went to a mall. Again, we were both scared of each other. I had to make sure that the number on the diamond was right and he did not want to give me the diamond until he received the money on his account. Besides that lack of confidence on both sides, it was a great experience. The ring was wonderful, both my son and my future daughter in law are so happy about it. The size, everything was exactly they way the wanted. I really recommend David Congers for his patient. He is working from home but he is honest and direct. Thanks again David.

It's large, it's clean. The people are really nice, they'll help you with anything that you need…read more Also great prices and amazing clothing!

Decent enough IF whatever is causing the mildew-ish smell on items was dealt with. The smell…read morepermeates items, which is ok for clothes since they can be washed but things like bags , well, the scent is so strong, that you may have to throw the item out.

All right. I'm a hat enthusiast. I have a lot of headgear, but I am a collector by nature. And…read morewhen I receive random compliments from women young and old, it encourages me to buy more. So if I happen to be in one of the 4 malls with a LIDS, like clockwork, I will strut my way into the store to look around. You know you have a problem when you want to buy a Kangol 504 hat in every outlandish display of colour offered. The unmistakable classic design is just so cool - Just ask Date Mike aka Michael Scott. Plus I look smooth in them. But enough about me. :P My rating is heavily (or exclusively) based on the Kangol selection. While I love the standard 504 shape that has put Kangol on the map, I am open to military style caps. LIDS tends to stay Ottawa-public-servant-über-conservative in their colour and style offerings. If I were to find a hat that goes with my vintage Harris Tweed jacket, my review might double in stars. I guess I just wish they offered more diversity from common baseball cap. And the surprisingly large section of comic book character hats doesn't count. As ballcaps are their primary offering, realize that LIDS' offerings are based on the tastes of the National Capital Region. That being said, the hats in this store appeal mostly to teenagers. This LIDS store is in the south eastern corner of the mall, across from the food court and next to Loblaws.

The only thing that saves this place from being a one star is their merchandise. Every single time…read moreI've come here (about 5 or 6 times now), we've had zero customer service. Twice, the assistant manager has been on the phone with his feet up in the back for a solid 20 minutes talking to his buddy on the phone, and only moved to ring our purchases through (he never hung up his phone). The other times we've dropped by, no one has ever asked us if we need help finding something, or even said hi. The only thing that remotely saves this place for me are the hats that I purchase. I like their selection, though I do wish they had more female specific hats (the only ones they really have are one style each of Nike, Adidas, and Puma and a pink ball cap). A little more feminine variety would be nice. That being said, if I'm buying something for my boyfriend I never leave empty handed. I really want to like the staff here, and I come in with hopeful expectations every time, but I'm always let down. Hopefully management will change at some point and they'll hire people who actually enjoy their jobs (or at least pretend to. Hell, at least say hi).

Nice selection of thrift store clothing that is in good shape. I think they are selective about…read morewhat they accept. I find the quality and prices very good AND it's a registered charity; part of the Big Sisters/Brothers organization so proceeds are going to an excellent cause. They now have a small housewares section but don't have room for big items like furniture. I do make sure this place is on my list when I'm on the hunt for something. Ample free parking and close to other shopping on Merivale.

Thrive Select Thrift Store is a thrift store that sells clothing and accessories, and 100% of their…read moreprofits go to support Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ottawa. I like that the impacts of donations and purchases stay local. And organizations that help kids always have my support. The clothing at Thrive appears to be geared towards youth and so skews on the younger side, in my opinion. The racks are filled with brands like Old Navy, Garage, and Ardene. Prices are cheaper than places like Value Village. They had some new items like Funko Pops and Squishmallows, while I was there, but I guess these depend on donations, perhaps these were from a business (?) They also had some used video games and controllers. They also have (new) Big Brothers and Big Sisters merchandise. Staff are friendly. I believe that many of them are volunteers. They are located in the Emerald Plaza. Lots of free parking in the plaza.