Visiting Ottawa is not complete without a stop at a Giant Tiger. I learned on my previous trip to…read morethe city that the first Giant Tiger store is in ByWard Market. I walked by it and learned something new. I still need to actually go in it. This Giant Tiger is the closest one to Zellers, where I was on a late Saturday afternoon. I dropped by after having dinner in the vicinity. This Giant Tiger is in a plaza that was fairly busy on a Saturday evening. I parked and walked into the store. Naturally, I looked at the food section. My favourite bagged cereal by Malt-O-Meal typically goes for $3 a bag. This store had a sale happening. I got two bags for $5. Yes! I enjoyed browsing the desserts and peanut butter varieties. In the book section, I found Dark Angel by V.C. Andrews. I was into her books when I was in grade 7. It was cool to relive a bit of my past when I saw this book going for $5. This store is exactly what I had expected from Giant Tiger. There are plenty of items at good prices and it's Canadian. Enough said. (298)

A lot of people poo-poo Giant Tiger, but I actually like it. Partly because it's a Canadian…read morecompany (in fact it was started in Ottawa in 1961!), and partly because it reminds me of the now defunct stores Bargain Harold's and Biway that I used to go to as a kid in Toronto. Oh nostalgia goes a long way, sigh. Make no mistake, it is a bargain store. They do sell clothes there, but I feel that they look and feel like bargain store clothes. They have cheap home furnishings, like curtain rods, curtains and rugs, which are great to furnish a student apartment. Their food and household items are also well-priced and even better when they are on sale. I only ever buy food at Giant Tiger, but I love poking around for old times' sake. This location is smaller than most and their food section is really tiny, but it's the most convenient location for me. There's free parking in the strip mall.

I have always loved Costco, but I went recently during the Covid-19 Pandemic and I have to say that…read moreI was very impressed with the way they ran things and now I love them even more. Masks are mandatory at Costco during these pandemic times, and if you don't have your own, they will give you a disposable one for free. They take the mask directly from the box with a pair of tweezers and hand it to you that way, so the workers don't touch the mask or you. They also have hand sanitizer at the entrance. They spray down the carts as well. The shopping experience inside is similar to Pre-Covid times, other than the fact that there are less shoppers allowed into the store, so it's less crowded. There is also plexiglass at the cash registers. They still take cash. The food area is open for takeaway only. You order at the touchscreen and pay there too. Only cards are accepted here, no cash. Fountain drinks are given to you by a staff member (no self-serve), they do ask you if you want ice or not, which I thought was nice. Once your food is ready, they call out your order and you go and get it. I don't know how long this pandemic is going to last, nor do I know how many of these measures will continue once the pandemic is over. However, I think Costco has handled things well. Costco has a special place in my heart because my usual Costco companion is my brother and we have brother-sister together time at Costco when we go. My most recent visit to this Costco though was with a new friend I met at work (I was deployed to a new work location for the Covid-19 Emergency Response and hardly knew anyone there when I first started). Costco, helping people bond, one relationship at a time, lol. I guess I should write a blurb about what Costco actually is, right? Although I think everyone knows that Costco is a store that sells items mostly in bulk, and you need a membership to shop there. Memberships start at about $55/year. Members can bring guests though. They take debit, cash or Costco credit card (they don't take other credit cards). Pre-Covid, they would give out samples of their items. Samples of course are no more. They have their house brand, Kirkland, which is actually quite good. Prices are cheaper than regular prices at mainstream grocery stores, but not really cheaper than sale prices at mainstream grocery stores. Although Costco has a lot of exclusive products, which I like. In addition to items you would find at regular grocery stores, they also carry electronics, books, toys, clothes and jewelery. There is also a pharmacy and an optical at Costco. They also have a Costco gas station and prices are about $0.10 a litre less than at other gas stations. There's lots of free parking.

For the price, you can not go wrong with the resto at Costco. This HUGE pizza is absolutely…read moredelicious. I prefer the cheese myself as the pepperoni gets a bit oily. This could easily feed 4/5 people with one pie. Cost is 13.99. I wish they still had the all dressed but this in a pinch when you are at Costco really does the job

This location is in the Stafford Shopping Plaza in Bells Corners…read more Mark's used to be called Mark's Work Warehouse as they carried things like steel-toed shoes, overalls, reflective strips, coats for sub-zero temperatures, scrubs (medical uniforms), etc., so essentially "work clothes." But they rebranded a few years ago, dropped the "Work Warehouse" part of their name and are marketing themselves as also a regular clothes store. They still sell the same things though. Their "regular clothes" are very basic and functional. Good if you are looking for basic t-shirts, black pants, etc. But not if you're looking for anything stylish, at least not in my opinion. They do carry very large sizes here. I have regularly seen sizes 4XL and 5XL here, and they are usually heavily discounted. So if these are your sizes, you will likely make out like a bandit. Unfortunately for me though, their sizes do not run small. Especially for pants, even their smallest size is usually too big for me (and I'm not THAT small, my jeans are a size 26). However, if you are an average-sized person or bigger, you will likely find clothes here that fit. They carry lots of plaid shirts and t-shirts of every color under the sun. So if you're looking for a specific coloured t-shirt say for a Halloween costume or something, they've got you covered! Clothes here are not my style and generally not even my size, but objectively I'll say that it's a cool store.

TLDR: Smaller Costco, no gas station, but great customer service…read more So I finally did it: I got my own Costco membership. Once upon a time, I used to go to Costco with my brother pretty regularly (he has a membership). It was part of our hanging out time, and I loved it. I remember once a few years ago I was in a mall and there was a kiosk set up to sell Costco memberships. They were giving out free stuff, so I had to stop and take a look, haha. The man asked me if I was a Costco member and I said no, but my brother was and he'd take me every week or two, so I was familiar with Costco. He told me if I got my own membership I could go anytime I wanted, but if going to Costco was this thing my brother and I did and it was our quality time together then I shouldn't get my own membership and just continue to go with my brother. I thought that was such a lovely thing to say. And he ended up giving me the free cookies or chocolate or whatever it was they were giving out anyway, lol. Well fast forward to present day and my brother is super busy with his kids, his work and other stuff and we haven't been to Costco together now for several years. He still goes regularly, but on his own right at opening on a weekend (he's on the other side of town, and I'm not an early bird, so I definitely don't go with him). He still buys me stuff when I ask him like Craisins, pumpkin seeds and almond butter (staples in my house), but I don't get to browse and see what's new in the warehouse. What precipitated me getting a membership, believe it or not, was a jar of avocado mayo. I love avocado mayo (I'm talking 100% of the oil used is avocado oil, not the Hellman's Avocado mayo that's mostly canola oil with a bit of avocado oil mixed in) but it's expensive as hell at grocery stores (like $15 for a tiny 355ml jar). When I saw in the Costco flyer that a 946ml jar was only $9.49 I immediately asked my brother to buy it for me. However, it's only available at regular Costcos and my brother only goes to the Costco Business Centre these days. What's an avocado mayo loving girl to do in this situation? Get her own Costco membership and buy a jar herself! My husband and I were in Kanata for an afternoon function, so we decided to head over to this Kanata Costco to buy a membership and the avocado mayo. We were served by Ziny at the Customer Service Desk, who was very courteous, informative and helpful. We got our memberships and headed into the warehouse. This location is smaller than most Costcos and their food court area is also very small. They don't have a gas station either. Anyway, we found the avocado mayo and it was even $0.50 less than advertised ($8.99). Score! We picked up a few other items too. They were giving out samples of various items, but most of them were either not of interest to me, or there were hoards of people crowding around. Now I like free stuff, but my dislike of crowds is stronger, so I kept going. I did manage to get a sample of some S'mores clusters ;) It was my first time at this Kanata Costco. I heard that the plan is to close it and open a new location at the Tanger Outlets that will be bigger and have a gas station. There is no timeline that I know of, and it's just what I heard, so not sure if it will happen. Anyway, that's my Costco story. This location is across from the Kanata Centrum. Obviously there's free parking on-site. (78)

Oof, this place is dangerous. I make a list and try to stick…read moreby it. Parking is coocoo, I try to go at off times. Mid day or just before close. Employees are always kind at check out but I wish there were a few more on the floor. It's a big place and I can never find what I need the most! Things get moved around so much or get discontinued so if you see something great, buy it! Samples... ugh. I'm always hungry as I get so busy, I forget to eat. Yum. I love everything they serve. Unless egg or mayo related. Customers are usually friendly and one has to be understanding in this place as the shopping carts are huge! I love looking at seasonal items, avoid the sweets, clothing and books. And the cold rooms, brrr! I tend to buy all my paper products there and am addicted to their croissants. Sooo many in a batch tho so I like to give some away while fresh as they don't freeze well. I buy hamburger and cut it 4 times to freeze as I am an expert now at pasta sauce for my lasagna and chili. I bought recently a heated blanket I'm in love with and want another one but I think they are all gone now. I save a lot of $ buying Timmies kcups when on sale as those suckers are pricey anywhere else. All this writing about it, I'm starving and may go right now. Thanks a lot, Yelp!!!!! :)

Linen Chest sells linens, lol, but also other housewares. It's a bit like Bed Bath and Beyond. It's…read morea popular place for Wedding Registries. It's also Canadian. Prices are average, comparable to similar places like Bed Bath and Beyond. They do have sales and quite a few clearance items. They are good if you are in need of bedding and need to buy ASAP. I personally rarely have urgent deadlines to buy items, so I prefer to shop at places like Homesense, Winners and Marahalls, where prices are cheaper, but I may not find what I'm looking for on a particular visit. The store is bright, large and spacious. Staff are nice. Not my kind of store personally, but I can see the appeal and I like that they are a Canadian company. The store is in a plaza (same plaza are Ikea and Corbeil Appliances). Lots of free parking.

I bought sheet sets, numerous pillows, and bathroom accessories along with bed at Linen chest on…read moreiris. The sales person insisted I needed a box spring even though I had told him I had a had a bed frame which had held my previous 2 king matresses. Prior to delivery, I went in to discuss this with the salesperson and managers who agreed it wasn't required. The managers, Janis and Katie were unbelievably rude for customer service and Katie even agreed that it wasn't needed. I will certainly share my experience with anyone looking to shop there. They are strictly looking for you to spend your $8000 and walk out the door. To the owner, perhaps a staff refresh is in order?

I would like to compliment Barbara, service associate, at the Bayshore Home Sense store. I called…read moreto look for a complimenting mirror to the one I bought at turbines Road store and that other Ottawa stores didn't have in stock. Barbara was patient and helpful taking the time during the busy Holidays to search the floor. She found one and held it for me. when I arrived to pick it up later in the evening, she was as happy as I was to find exactly what I needed and celebrate it being on Sale. Barbara was professional, service oriented and pleasant. She literally made my day. Thank you Barbara, you deserve a service award. Megan

I am a big HomeSense fan, and this happens to be one of my favorite locations snuggled right into…read moreBayshore Mall. I find that during the week their selection is fantastic, and the store is relatively cleaner compared to some of the other locations that I have checked out. If you stop in during the week, it is not that busy and is usually pleasant to browse and shop in. I cannot say the same for the weekends. They are well stocked with a larger selection of furniture, rugs, and seasonal items that are rather in better condition than other locations. I find items are nicely displayed here, and not just thrown on a shelf. The employees at this location are friendly, and the lines are rarely an issue. I can spend hours at this HomeSense!!

I love this HomeSense. It's fairly large, and I always walk out buying at least one thing…read more The store offers a large selection of pictures, household wares, books, furniture as well as linens. It is hard not to find anything at HomeSense that is not priced reasonably. Like other reviewers have mentioned, since it is located on Merivale Road, it should be avoided on the weekends. Not only that but avoid this location on Monday's as well, the stock is usually low, and the store is left with all the "left overs" from the weekend, that did not sale. Usually give it a day or two for the staff to load up the shelves with new goodies after their weekend rush. Best time to shop is Tuesday-Friday in the evening or morning. Don't forget, interior decorators get a discount at HomeSense!!

I was looking for a marble grinder today and a friend of mine told me to check out Homesense on…read moreMerivale or Innes. My first stop was the Innes Homesense and then the Merivale Homesense. Minus the drive on Merivale the trip to Homesense was pretty good. This Homesense is massive! There are a lot of items at this store and like most Homesense's the stock changes weekly. There were a lot of items for the house, some nice, some awfully hard to look at! The good thing about this Homesense is that there are a lot of items for pretty reasonable prices. I'd recommend going on a weekday as Merivale seemed like a zoo today and I hear it's like that on weekends.

It's hit and miss here but I'm hard pressed to leave here empty handed between the spice area, pet…read morearea and candles! Great place for gifts. Small furnishings. The clothing area is overwhelming so I skip right on by that but... There is also the amazing beauty section. I also check out the end aisles for clearance items at the back. Why pay more? Parking is ok. It can get very busy any time of day, any day and shares the lot with other great stores. The lines can be lonnnnng and tedious. I wish they had more check outs open. Or self check outs. Staff always ask for my MAXX card. Does this really do anything when they scan it? I never return anything, anyways. Best part . Dog friendly! Thank you, Winners! Best advice... Bring your own bags. I bring a big basket and bags as those candles get heavy! The seasonal scents and decor are great! Also, if you see something you really like, grab it! It may not be there the next day!

We visited yesterday, a Friday between Christmas and New Year's Eve, and I have to say that I was…read morepleased with how bright and clean, tidy and organized it was. There are bigger Winners outlets than this one, but this one served our purposes for this visit. I was also pleased that Winners would allow refunds on items purchased in a different city. There's something about how the clothes are hung and displayed on movable metal racks that reminds me of Value Village and other such stores. It's not as cramped here thought.