Shopping in Whistler
• A WorldWeb.com Travel Guide for Whistler, British Columbia.
Snowcapped peaks, pristine wilderness, challenging mountain trails, fabulous restaurants and deluxe accommodations—the list of Whistler’s attributes is almost endless. Nestled in the Coast Mountains 125 km (78 mi) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, the world-class resort destination provides adrenalin junkies with mountain thrills, outdoor enthusiasts with fresh air activities and busy individuals with relaxing massage treatments and hot-tub soaking opportunities. And at the end of activity-packed days, all of Whistler’s visitors can also enjoy a pleasing and surprisingly wide range of retail therapy—hunting for souvenirs, finding gear or fashion goods and shopping for basics at various areas around the resort.
There are over 200 different shops in Whistler, which are located in four distinct zones: Whistler Village, Upper Village, Whistler Creekside and Function Junction, the latter of which is 8 km (5 mi) south of Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway towards Squamish. Many retail outlets specialize in equipment and attire for skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and hiking, but others offer everything from swim wear and fashion wear to Native art, sculpture, home furnishings, jewelry, Whistler keepsakes and chocolate.
The main shopping zone is Whistler Village, which incorporates the Marketplace, Town Plaza and Village North areas. The stores here are located along mostly pedestrian-only walkways and include options for souvenir shops, sporting gear retail outlets and a supermarket.
Upper Village, which is in the same area as the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Blackcomb Base, offers mostly sport-oriented places to exercise purse-purging activities, while Whistler Creekside has the area’s only full service shopping center, called Franz’s Trail Shopping Village.
Creekside is 4 km (2.5 mi) south of the main village and the centre boasts a bank, liquor shop and grocery store, as well as home furnishings, outdoor gear and some fashion stores. There are a number of other high fashion stores in these three shopping zones, some of which are located inside the various residential lodges and hotels that may test the search skills of even the most avid shopper.
Function Junction, as the name suggests, is home to more functional shopping requirements like hardware, building supplies, dry cleaning and TV services, although it is host to a couple of sporting goods stores and art galleries too.
SPORTING APPAREL & EQUIPMENT
Outdoor pursuits abound at Whistler and therefore so does gear, equipment and gadgetry designed to enhance skiing, snowboarding, hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking and kayaking performances. Those looking to revamp their sporting equipment and check out the latest new technology will find recognizable brand names like Rossignol, K2, Giant, Arkteryx, Burton, Camelbak, Mountain Hardware and Osprey readily available.
Showcase—a snowboard, surf and skateboard store—carries brands like Forum and Volcom, and Can Ski—which has three Whistler locations—provides Superior Fit Bootfit guarantees, gear brands like Atomic and Spyder and ski tuning services. For serious mountain gear, Escape Route carries mountaineering, camping and backcountry equipment and biking gear is available at several stores around the resort, including the Bike Company.
Equipment aside, Whistler also offers many choices for casual, sport-oriented wardrobes. Brand-name stores such as the North Face, Helly Hansen, Quiksilver, Columbia, Billabong, Burton, Footlocker and Lululemon, as well as more general retailers like Whacks of Whistler and Snomotion, are all readily available.
CLOTHING
Fashion fiends looking for the perfect outfit or just something more hip than a ski jacket can find a few places to browse as Whistler has a number of smaller clothing boutiques. Fashion wear is available in stores like BlueBalls Boutique, Guess, Le Chateau and TNA. Those who desire a more casual look to their wardrobe are also well catered for by stores like Eddie Bauer, Roots and Open Country.
In snowy mountain resorts one might also expect wool or fur goods and Whistler does not disappoint; at a number of shops specialize in all things cozy, furry and warm.
T-SHIRTS, SOUVENIRS & GIFTS
Souvenirs are in abundance in Whistler and for visitors wishing to have a reminder or a gift for others back home there are stores like 49th Parallel and Mountie Trading Post that focus on t-shirts, sweatshirts and other memorabilia of Whistler Blackcomb, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which the mountain co-hosted, and Canadian specialties such as maple syrup, hockey pucks and furry moose toys.
From flowers and chocolate to beauty products and jewellery, all kinds of gifts can also be found in Whistler. Well known retailers such as Lush, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Rogers' Chocolates and Keir Fine Jewellery—as well as specialty shops such as the Whistler Cigar Company and Armchair Books—are also dotted around the village.
ART
Across Canada there are a plethora of artisans and crafts people creating decorative and functional art, crafts, furniture and pottery that often finds its way to one of the many Whistler galleries or stores. First Nations art from the west coast is available at the Path Gallery while Canadian-designed furniture and decor is the proud domain of Dream Merchants of Whistler.
MOUNTAINTOP STORES
Visitors who venture up the gondolas and chairlifts for the area's spectacular views or for a day of skiing or mountain biking can add shopping to their itineraries. There are three stores in the mountain day lodges of Glacier Creek, Rendezvous and Roundhouse, all situated high on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and each boasts retail outlets with Whistler clothing and other souvenirs, as well as items like goggles, gloves, lip balm and postcards.
PRACTICAL NEEDS
The day-to-day needs of the resort's local residents and visitors who stay for a few days, a week or a month are serviced by a couple of grocery stores, such as the Whistler Grocery Store and Nesters Market, and during summer months there is even an open-air market and a farmers’ market. Function Junction, a short hop south, provides general goods and services like Home Hardware, Whistler Printing and a year-round full service bike shop.
There are over 200 different shops in Whistler, which are located in four distinct zones: Whistler Village, Upper Village, Whistler Creekside and Function Junction, the latter of which is 8 km (5 mi) south of Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway towards Squamish. Many retail outlets specialize in equipment and attire for skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and hiking, but others offer everything from swim wear and fashion wear to Native art, sculpture, home furnishings, jewelry, Whistler keepsakes and chocolate.
The main shopping zone is Whistler Village, which incorporates the Marketplace, Town Plaza and Village North areas. The stores here are located along mostly pedestrian-only walkways and include options for souvenir shops, sporting gear retail outlets and a supermarket.
Upper Village, which is in the same area as the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Blackcomb Base, offers mostly sport-oriented places to exercise purse-purging activities, while Whistler Creekside has the area’s only full service shopping center, called Franz’s Trail Shopping Village.
Creekside is 4 km (2.5 mi) south of the main village and the centre boasts a bank, liquor shop and grocery store, as well as home furnishings, outdoor gear and some fashion stores. There are a number of other high fashion stores in these three shopping zones, some of which are located inside the various residential lodges and hotels that may test the search skills of even the most avid shopper.
Function Junction, as the name suggests, is home to more functional shopping requirements like hardware, building supplies, dry cleaning and TV services, although it is host to a couple of sporting goods stores and art galleries too.
SPORTING APPAREL & EQUIPMENT
Outdoor pursuits abound at Whistler and therefore so does gear, equipment and gadgetry designed to enhance skiing, snowboarding, hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking and kayaking performances. Those looking to revamp their sporting equipment and check out the latest new technology will find recognizable brand names like Rossignol, K2, Giant, Arkteryx, Burton, Camelbak, Mountain Hardware and Osprey readily available.
Showcase—a snowboard, surf and skateboard store—carries brands like Forum and Volcom, and Can Ski—which has three Whistler locations—provides Superior Fit Bootfit guarantees, gear brands like Atomic and Spyder and ski tuning services. For serious mountain gear, Escape Route carries mountaineering, camping and backcountry equipment and biking gear is available at several stores around the resort, including the Bike Company.
Equipment aside, Whistler also offers many choices for casual, sport-oriented wardrobes. Brand-name stores such as the North Face, Helly Hansen, Quiksilver, Columbia, Billabong, Burton, Footlocker and Lululemon, as well as more general retailers like Whacks of Whistler and Snomotion, are all readily available.
CLOTHING
Fashion fiends looking for the perfect outfit or just something more hip than a ski jacket can find a few places to browse as Whistler has a number of smaller clothing boutiques. Fashion wear is available in stores like BlueBalls Boutique, Guess, Le Chateau and TNA. Those who desire a more casual look to their wardrobe are also well catered for by stores like Eddie Bauer, Roots and Open Country.
In snowy mountain resorts one might also expect wool or fur goods and Whistler does not disappoint; at a number of shops specialize in all things cozy, furry and warm.
T-SHIRTS, SOUVENIRS & GIFTS
Souvenirs are in abundance in Whistler and for visitors wishing to have a reminder or a gift for others back home there are stores like 49th Parallel and Mountie Trading Post that focus on t-shirts, sweatshirts and other memorabilia of Whistler Blackcomb, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which the mountain co-hosted, and Canadian specialties such as maple syrup, hockey pucks and furry moose toys.
From flowers and chocolate to beauty products and jewellery, all kinds of gifts can also be found in Whistler. Well known retailers such as Lush, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Rogers' Chocolates and Keir Fine Jewellery—as well as specialty shops such as the Whistler Cigar Company and Armchair Books—are also dotted around the village.
ART
Across Canada there are a plethora of artisans and crafts people creating decorative and functional art, crafts, furniture and pottery that often finds its way to one of the many Whistler galleries or stores. First Nations art from the west coast is available at the Path Gallery while Canadian-designed furniture and decor is the proud domain of Dream Merchants of Whistler.
MOUNTAINTOP STORES
Visitors who venture up the gondolas and chairlifts for the area's spectacular views or for a day of skiing or mountain biking can add shopping to their itineraries. There are three stores in the mountain day lodges of Glacier Creek, Rendezvous and Roundhouse, all situated high on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and each boasts retail outlets with Whistler clothing and other souvenirs, as well as items like goggles, gloves, lip balm and postcards.
PRACTICAL NEEDS
The day-to-day needs of the resort's local residents and visitors who stay for a few days, a week or a month are serviced by a couple of grocery stores, such as the Whistler Grocery Store and Nesters Market, and during summer months there is even an open-air market and a farmers’ market. Function Junction, a short hop south, provides general goods and services like Home Hardware, Whistler Printing and a year-round full service bike shop.
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