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Newcomers, take notes!
TikToker, Julia.
If you’re new to Canada, you probably know that shopping can get a little overwhelming.
This is because not only are there numerous unfamiliar brands, but you will likely need an entirely new wardrobe to accommodate the four distinct seasons in Canada.
This could explain why a newcomer recently sought advice from Julia, a popular TikToker known for sharing fashion inspiration and style-related content on her handle @beingjulia.
"Hey, random question: I’m new to Canada and I don’t know where to shop. Any website suggestions?" they asked.
And Julia rose up to the challenge by posting a video with a "speed round debrief of where to shop online in Canada."
The first website she recommends is none other than fast fashion retailer H&M.
"H&M's pretty good especially if you sign up to be a member, they have a lot of perks. They have free shipping over $40 for members and $60 for everyone else," she says.
She adds, "Returns are free for H&M members and $4.99 for everyone else."
And, according to H&M's website, you can also make returns for free in-store. You can also get a 10% discount (in-store or online) when you sign up for the digital loyalty program.
Next up, she mentions Zara.
"Zara now has a shipping fee of $2.95," she says, before adding that returns are free. Meanwhile, if you want to avoid the shipping fee altogether, you can also order the item to be shipped to a Zara store near you for free.
After that Julia recommends Reformation, which she says is a personal favourite. "Shipping is free to Canada. Returns are free too and you don’t have to pay duties […] which is great."
Also making Julia's list is Canadian department store Simons, which she says has a lot of good stuff on its website.
"Shipping is free for Simons members over $50 and for $75 for everyone else. And if you ship it back, returns will be $9.99," she says.
However, she adds that if you want to avoid that charge, you can also return in-store for free.
Replying to @veronica_belmont Where to shop online in Canada! #styletips #canadianfashion #canada #fashiontiktok #onlineshopping #styletips #fashionhelp #styleinspo
Following that, she mentions American clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch, which also has a popular Canadian presence.
"They have free shipping to Canada over $75. If you want to return, they will send you a return label. They’ll just deduct $7 off the cost of your return," says Julia.
However, when Narcity checked, the retailer seems to have increased the free shipping threshold to $99.
She then moves on to Oak & Fort, adding that she loves a lot of their stuff.
"However, you do have to spend $150 on their website to get free shipping,” she says. “And if you want to return it, you have to pay for shipping yourself."
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without Aritzia, which Julia calls a "Canadian classic."
"Shipping is free when you spend over $50 and returns cost $8… or you can return it in store for free."
She also recommends places such as COS and Arket, which have free shipping but prices are in U.S. dollars, which means customers may have to deal with conversion rates depending on where they're shopping from.
Customers will also have to pay duties for receiving packages and fork out for the cost of any returns.
In addition to Julia's own advice, the comments section was filled with useful tips and honourable mentions.
"Reitmans online clearance is INSANE! I've shopped exclusively clearance for years and saved literal hundreds," one TikTok user stated.
"Don't sleep on Reitmans!!!," another agreed. "Canadian company, great prices on clearance items and quality pieces!"
"The Bay has also great sales sometimes," a third said.
Other fashion brands that got a notable mention in the comments include American Eagle, Old Navy (for activewear), Gap, Banana Republic, Mango and Dynamite.
So, you might want to bookmark this TikTok for the next time you want to treat yourself to a little retail therapy.
Happy shopping, all!
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