Page 308 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Pacific Northwest

306  TR A VELERS ’ NEEDS

SHOPPING IN THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Downtown districts in the Pacific Northwest for are antiques, books, and music from the
provide everything from the luxury goods chain stores and independents; fresh produce;
offered by exclusive stores to bargains that can smoked Pacific salmon; and first-class wines.
be picked up in flea markets. Outdoor gear Native American and First Nations jewelry,
manufactured by world-renowned local carvings, paintings, and other handicrafts and
companies is popular. Shoppers can also artwork are sold throughout the region in
purchase footwear and clothing to suit every specialty shops, cultural centers, and galleries.
taste; many secondhand shops sell vintage Delicious Canadian maple syrup is widely
clothing and accessories. Other items to shop available in British Columbia.
Sales
Local newspapers are a good
source of information on
upcoming sales. End-of-season
sales can offer as much as 70
percent off the regular price.
In the days – and in some cases
weeks – following Christmas,
many stores offer huge
discounts and specials.
Payment
Most stores accept all major
credit cards, with Visa and
MasterCard being the most
Store window filled with antiques in popular. “Direct payment” with
Portland’s Sellwood District bank debit cards at point-of-sale Hat store at Vancouver’s Granville Island,
terminals are also widely used. one of many specialty shops
Shopping Hours Traveler’s checks are readily
Stores are generally open seven accepted with proper best to change any currency
days a week. Standard hours are identification, such as a valid you have in advance. Personal
from 9 or 10am to 6pm, though passport or a driver’s license. In checks are rarely accepted.
many stores and malls remain most US stores, foreign currency
open until 9pm on certain is not accepted, whereas many Sales Tax
nights. Sunday hours are usually Canadian stores will accept
noon to 5pm. Smaller stores both US and Canadian Sales taxes vary depending
often open at 10am, close at currencies. However, the on which state or province you
6pm, and are closed on Sundays exchange rate offered by stores are visiting, and in the US they
or Mondays. The busiest is generally substantially lower can vary depending on where
shopping days of the week than what a bank or currency you are within a state. In
are Fridays and weekends. exchange office will give, so it is Washington, taxes are in the
8 to 9 percent range (with
Seattle’s at 9.5 percent), though
groceries are exempt. Out-of-
state or foreign visitors to
Seattle who have no sales tax
at home are exempt, provided
they show ID such as a valid
driver’s license. In Oregon,
there is no sales tax. In British
Columbia, a 7 percent provincial
sales tax (PST) and a 5 percent
federal Goods and Service Tax
(GST) apply to most goods; the
major exception is basic food
Glasshouse, Seattle’s oldest glassblowing studio, at Pioneer Square items. Taxes are usually added

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