When I was a Winnipeg resident, I was a mall person. I had two favourite malls in this city: Polo…read morePark and St Vital Centre. I am more of a outlet mall shopper these days. However, returning to this city on vacation as a sentimental ex-Winnipegger, I hung out at this mall for seven hours. The mall person returned. It's still in me. I hadn't been to this mall since 2016, so it was worth the visit. It's a decent mall. It's a medium-sized one in that there's only one floor. Hudson's Bay (it has a Zellers!), London Drugs, Walmart, and Dollarama are your anchor stores. In 2016, I spent a lot of time and did a lot of damage at London Drugs. On this visit to the mall, I didn't visit any of these stores. I wanted to check out the other stores that I had missed. SilverCity, Hudson's Bay, Purdy's Chocolates, and Indigo were stores that I recognized. They have endured the test of time. I like them a lot. Everything else was new. I could picture the old HMV and Branigan's restaurant when you first enter mall entrance 3 and hit the food court. They are gone. The food court is still excellent. I had a late lunch at Koya Japan and my meal was excellent. I visited a bunch of stores that I had never been to at this mall. Miniso. SoftMoc. Sephora. Claire's. They are all cool stores that I enjoyed visiting and making some purchases. There is a lot of parking at this mall. It may get nuts during Boxing Day or week or month. I have never had any issues parking at this mall. This mall has an Earl's restaurant. I last dined there in 2016 and loved it. There's also Sushi Gozen by London Drugs that I'd like to try someday. I recently met up with a couple of friends here. We caught up over some Timmy's drinks and snacks. It was nice and a memorable, happy experience. It's a decent mall. It has everything that I like and need. (316)

I loved it so much And best Mall ever nice people and great service and good Friends and foodread more

Recently, I saw photos of this Real Canadian Superstore in my feed. It brought back fond memories…read moreand a huge smile on my face. When I owned my first car in Winnipeg, my first grocery store run with it was to this store on Bison Drive. It's the closest one to the University of Manitoba. You basically do the Bison Drive-Chancellor Matheson Road combination to travel between the two places. This grocery store has been around for eons. I remember it as being a green-coloured building with yellow and black lettering when I first saw it and shopped here. It was the case for all Real Canadian Superstores in Winnipeg. When I moved back to the greater Toronto area, all of these stores were white with blue trim and some red. It was quite the transition! It was exciting for me to park my car, bring a bunch of bags into the store, buy groceries, bag them, and head to my car to put them away. I was so used to either hauling my groceries to and from my local Safeway, or doing delivery on larger orders before I had a car. Safeway was great, but there seemed to be more value and variety at this store. There was plenty of parking. At the time, this store didn't have a gas station. I'm not sure if that's still the case. What caught my attention were these huge muffins. You got six in a package. The base was cardboard. Plastic wrap allowed you to see the muffins while they stayed fresh. They were so soft and yummy. I loved getting the chocolate chip ones. There was a variety pack that had this flavour and blueberry. Both were amazing. You do need to put a deposit in to use a cart. Bring some change just for the cart. The aisles at this store were wide. I appreciated it, especially when you are rolling past other shoppers with carts. I remember the produce being fresh. I was into salads back then (not really a huge change compared to me now), so I was always getting romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. The frozen foods section was cool. I loved getting lasagna. I started making my own lasagna and got tired of it... haha! There were two sizes. The size that I got depended on whether I had company over or just wanted leftovers. I'm not sure whether it still has the kilogram size. It was large and a revelation to me at the time. It was perfect to feed a few folks. It was also yummy. I drank a lot of skim milk back then. I'd always get a jug. It was cheaper than going with a one-litre carton. I stopped drinking skim milk when I moved back to Markham, realized that I was borderline lactose-intolerant, and found out that skim milk had sugar in it. The President's Choice chocolate chip cookies were also a staple for me. They were yummy and the price was right. I'd often get a couple of packages each time I paid a visit. I do miss Winnipeg and this grocery store. I hope to relive memories shopping here whenever I'm back in the city. If you are a local, this grocery store is located in a plaza with a medical centre and more. The Pembina 60 bus should still be kicking around to get you here if you don't have a vehicle. (207)

They are at the store that usually has some another Superstore doesn't. The store is clean and…read moreusually well stocked.

The last store that I visited at Outlet Collection Winnipeg earlier this month was this Winners. I…read moretend to frequent Winners often and it was the case during my vacation. It was nice to see one at this mall. If you expect this Winners to be an outlet version of the store, it's not the case. It's more a convenient way to access a Winners in an air-conditioned mall with shoppers looking for a deal by default. It is a nice Winners. I focused my attention on housewares and phone accessories. This store has an extremely diverse set of drinkware. If you want blingy glasses with rainbows on them, you can find a set here. If you are looking for huge tumblers to bring water or whatever you'd like to consume everywhere and stay hydrated, there is one for you. I like looking at phone accessories. From car mounts for your phone, to USB C cables, I love checking out what's out there. I am a PopSockets person. It's easier for me to take photos with it and hold my phone in general. I ended up getting a couple of them here. One was an enamel watermelon. It would go well with my watermelon t-shirt that I had just bought and my stuffing myself with watermelon all summer. The other one had smiling flowers on it. The kitchen gadgets were great here. I saw everything from butterfly moulds to garlic presses. There was a Mr Men mug set that was adorable. This store also has a lot of Hello Kitty items, from storage containers, to a chopstick-plate set. I went to pay for my items at the checkout. The woman there was pleasant. I had my TJX Style+ barcode scanned from my phone. I then paid with a credit card. The transaction was smooth. I thanked the woman and placed my items in my bag. I was done shopping at this mall after at least a couple of hours, so I headed to my rental vehicle and went to fetch dinner. I liked shopping at this Winners. It was clean and I liked my PopSocket purchases at decent prices. (295)

After I had breakfast at Ben & Florentine, I decided to drop by Giant Tiger (GT) in the same plaza…read more I needed drinks. I like the prices at GT. GT will always have a soft spot in my heart, especially when I visit one in Winnipeg. My introduction to this franchise occurred when Winnipeg got its first store on Donald Street, at Ellice Avenue, when I lived in the city. It's still there! It was raining. I decided to hop in my rental vehicle and find a closer parking spot to the store. I didn't have an umbrella. I found a spot steps away and dashed into the store. It was Canada Day. I saw a lot of festive merchandise, from water bottles, to tank tops. I was sporting a Canada cap. It kept my head dry. I liked the clearance section. This store had a lot of great deals. With a brisk wind on the coolest day during my vacation, I needed something to keep me warm while taking in the Canada Day celebrations later on in the evening. I found a lightweight long-sleeved top with a floral pattern for $5. It was roomy to wear on top of my t-shirt and the sleeves were the perfect length. Such a steal! I was happy. I liked the bucket hats at this store. I was content with my cap that I didn't get one. The grocery section was great. I loved looking at bagged apples and lemons, and a variety of baked goods. I went to the beverages section. A six-pack of bottled Coke zero was on sale. Sold! This store had gigantic Squishmallows. They were cute, but one would fit my entire luggage if I didn't compress it down. At the checkout, I got Lawrence. He was competent and efficient. He asked me if I needed a bag. I declined and said that I was good. I paid with a credit card. My items were just over $10. Insane! I wore my long-sleeved top when I was taking in the Canada Day celebrations from roughly 6 pm till 9 pm in an open stadium. It kept me warm and it was comfy to wear. I liked shopping at this store. I'd head back again when I'm in the St. James area. (298)

Nice to see a friendly staff activity cleaning carts as he greeted me coming into the store. The…read moremusic inside was great. The price are good and a good selection of food available, and a large selection of rarer candies. Friendly cashiers. Unfortunately, I had to witness a customer spitting on the ground just outside the door where others are walking to and from the store.

A good location with parking and wide range of grocery and general goods. This busy location in st…read more James boasts a well stocked range of fruits and veggies, in store baked goods, fish and deli counter, meat and dairy areas. There is a large selection of organic products and very large international foods area covering many ethnic groups. As a one-stop shopping store is complemented by a pharmacy, Liquor Mart, photo studio. Checkout is reasonably quick and staff are helpful in this busy environment. Pricing is average with many advanced specials. A good choice for weekly shopping!

Great place to eat. The food was good and will gladly visit again if ever I'm in town.read more

Tip: Pepsi products in one-litre bottles go for $1.25 each…read more I needed some Diet Pepsi. I decided to check out this Dollarama, which carries Diet Pepsi in one-litre bottles. This store is located in Madison Square. It takes over from where Office Depot used to be, which was a store that I loved until the entire franchise died in Canada. It was wild going into the store and seeing how different it looked as a dollar store. I found bottles of Diet Pepsi immediately. I grabbed a couple of them. The snack aisle was next to the pop. Dare lemon and maple cookies were there, as were ramen and Chef Boyardee. I was done shopping. I got a woman who was efficient at the checkout. I paid with a credit card. I tapped and all was great. I thanked her, grabbed my items, and headed to my vehicle. It was great dropping by this store. It allowed me to reminisce and get what I needed quickly. (226)

My favourite place for electronics and snacks. Love that it is Canadian, staffed adequately, and…read moreoffers a great selection of interesting things at good prices.

I love London Drugs. It is a western Canadian company. Its lone store in Manitoba is at St. Vital…read moreShopping Centre in Winnipeg. What exactly is London Drugs? It's not just a drugstore. It has houseware, electronics, cosmetics, and a small number of grocery items. I drop by this store whenever I am in town. There is plenty of parking at this mall. I walked into the mall and London Drugs was staring at me. It's next to a sushi restaurant, which I have flagged. I recall the RBC ATM at London Drugs. It was modern, but only allowed cash withdrawals. It is by the store entrance, on the right when you're walking in.. I immediately hit the cosmetics section. I loved all the nail polish and lipsticks. The selection of brands and colours was great. I got lost in housewares. I love small appliances. I have no idea how that happened. Anyway, it has everything from frying pans, to hot dog toasters and steamers. I wanted to get the Peanuts hot dog steamer, but didn't know how to bring that back on a plane! I love this store's electronic section. I love looking at laptops and accessories. There was also an extensive DVD section and I hope that it's still there. The electronic section is in the far left corner when you walk through the store entrance. Next to this section is the cell phone and television area, where you can get them and accessories. It's a cool place to be. It was summertime. Naturally, I had to look at food-shaped pool floats. The chocolate-covered pretzel pool float looked pretty cool. I ended up getting two huge bottles of Minions banana Tic Tac candies. They were cute and tasted yummy. The cashier who help me out was friendly. There were a couple of people in front of me. The wait wasn't all that long. I do miss this store. I hope to come back to check it out and have some sushi next door. (136)

You need to do something about the beggars in front of your store. I do not need to be harassed for…read morecigarettes (I don't smoke!) and nor do I need to explain why I do not have spare change. I can barely cover my trip to the store let alone support the 8 regular beggars you refuse to deal with. I've seen them following people to their cars and act threatening (250 pound man repeatedly and loudly asking for change) to your customers. No other Walmart has this issue! Why do you not want to deal with a potential safety issue for your customers? I rather drive to another location than shop here!

Surprised that nobody has reviewed this location yet. Then again, maybe it's because it's a bit…read moredifficult to get to. You have to cut through a couple of parking lots to get here, as the lot is bounded by a set of railroad tracks. Parking is plentiful out front, but try not to freeze to death when walking between the lot and store in the winters. Inventory and variety are both plentiful here. The stuff isn't particularly classy or high-end, but gets the job done if that's what you're looking for.

After I dropped by Circle K, I headed over to this Giant Tiger in the same plaza. It's a quiet…read moreplaza with a bunch of businesses. I visited my first Giant Tiger in Winnipeg. I love this Canadian chain so much that I had to check this store out. It's an older store. It's also different. A CIBC ATM machine greeted me. It was my first seeing any ATM at a Giant Tiger store. Produce appeared in front of me. I saw a bag of pears. I decided to get one. This store has a decent variety of plushies. There were Squishmallows and Sesame Street plushies at decent prices. I ended up getting a Cookie Monster plushie that screamed cute. The grocery section was nice. The produce looked great. I loved the variety of apples in bags. The cases of ramen made me happy. You know you're in Winnipeg when you can get a Winnipeg Jets zamboni coin bank. It was cool to see. I almost got one. This store was different. It had a purified water centre in the back of the store. It was busy! I paid for my items at a self-checkout kiosk. I had no problem entering my phone number associated with my VIP rewards, scanning my items, and paying for them with a credit card. The transaction went smoothly. What I found weird was seeing all the cheap clothing as I exited the store. Shouldn't it be after you enter the store?! If you need a pay phone, there's an MTS one just before you exit the store. The pears were yummy. I actually brought a couple of them back on the plane because the bag had a generous number of them. They held up nicely. It's an older store. I like its quirkiness. It did have items that I wanted and needed. I'd return when I'm in the area again. (272)

I love the selection in this store . Locally made goods and cute clothes that don't break the bank…read more I bought a beautiful bracelet made from Japanese silk and up cycled one of a kind mittens. Staff are super friendly and kind. Just an update for those who like gifts that matter They are selling the cutest wooden houses in support of mental health . All the proceeds go the maker which is really amazing. They have a map of Manitoba and come with a little star so you can place your town on the map. For 15-20 dollars they are a steal and will look super cute in my kitchen. The staff said you can email the maker for custom provinces. I think they would make a great gift for a great cause.

[In all fairness, I can't really review this place since I didn't shop there.... but my boyfriend…read moregave me the most amazing present from here so I just wanted to show some love] Here's a tip for all the guys: It's the little things that count. Yes, you can show up in a flashy car or buy rounds of drinks for my friends or take me to $300 dinners... but what I'll remember in 10 years... what will make me want to stay around for 10 years, are the little things. You can make me feel like I hung the moon by remembering a special moment. My S.O did this with a trinket from Out of the Blue. It was a beautiful necklace with a sand dollar pendant. It was so special that the moment I opened it, it triggered a proustian memory and I was back to that beach in Africa. back to 2007 when he was Obama-ing it up meeting long lost relatives in the motherland and I just happened to be staying at his birth father's house while I was volunteering in the village. You know... the usualboy meets girl story. I left for Kenya and got trapped in the makings of a civil war. Passport stolen, city locked down, the sound of sirens and the smell of burning filled the air. This man, this guy who knew me not even in a biblical sense for just a few weeks took a 16 hour bus ride across 2 countries to make sure I was ok. We ended up hiding away at his cousin's beach house on a empty strip of sand in a remote village while he fed me pineapples in the day and at night I would wake up crying from memories of men with machetes burning down churches full of children. All he could do was tell me it was going to be ok. It was our morning ritual to make the only footsteps on the beach and collect sand dollars whose bodies wash up on the shore after their death. Every little sea creature skeleton wiped away a fearful memory until there were no more night mares... and after awhile they weren't marine corpses anymore but reminders that though life can be horrid, heartbreaking, gruesome, unfair, dire, terrifying, it still has the capacity to be beautiful and birth love. When I opened that sweet little cardboard box, all those feelings came flooding back to me and that necklace isn't just a necklace, but a visual reminder of a memory of the heart.