Everything you need to know about living, working and studying in Edmonton

Buying clothes in Edmonton

As we mentioned earlier in the guide, winter is cold! The good news is that if you are well dressed, you won’t suffer. But you need to make sure you have quality winter gear, especially for the days when there is a strong wind.

If you need to buy new, the best deals can be found at the end of winter, when shops run promotions to clear out their winter stock. It’s a good idea to arrive in Edmonton at the end of winter and stock up on affordable clothes ready for the following year!

If you want to buy second-hand, you can use shops like Value Village or GoodWill.

If you want to buy new clothes, some of the best stores in Edmonton are:

• Winners
• Mark’s (for office wear)
• Sport Chek and Atmosphere (sports clothing)
• Mountain Equipment Coop (specialised sportswear, e.g. camping equipment). Note that Mountain Equipment Coop is a cooperative, so you will have to pay a $5 membership fee to join; otherwise, you will not be able to buy anything!
• For everyday clothing, check out shops like Marshalls, Volcom, Arc’teryx, Urban Planet, Hudson’s Bay, Eddie Bauer, etc.

Buying food in Edmonton

Safeway, Save On Food, Walmart, Sobeys, Canadian Superstore and Costco are the main choices for supermarkets in Edmonton.

Europeans should prepare to be saddened by the lack of diversity and, sometimes, the poor quality of produce sold in these stores. Sometimes it’s cheaper to buy ready-made/frozen meals than to make them yourself.

There are several markets in the city, the most popular being:

• Downtown Farmer’s Market
• Old Strathcona Market
• Callingwood Farmer’s Market

They sell fresh produce, depending on the season, but it is expensive to buy local and high-quality products. Many producers from British Columbia and Alberta are present at these markets. Learn more about the other markets in the city here.

For those who want to shop organic, Safeway, Save on Food and Superstore offer organic products for a reasonable price. Edmonton has also created a local initiative to deliver organic products to you: The Organic Box.

If you don’t want to cook, the city has many restaurants of all kinds: Indian, Chinese, French, Greek, Italian, etc. In addition, you can shop in the diverse neighbourhoods for a greater choice of produce, e.g. at the Italian Centre Shop in the Italian neighbourhood or the Polish Food Centre in the Polish neighbourhood.

Buying alcohol in Edmonton

You won’t find alcohol in supermarkets, so you have to go to the liquor store. Alcohol cannot be sold to under 18s in Edmonton, so be prepared to show ID when you buy. The liquor stores are often located near supermarkets, so they are easy to find.

To give you an idea of cost, an 8-pack of beer or an average bottle of wine will cost you around $18 (2023 data).