Coquitlam shopping meccas for today’s tastemakers.

When Coquitlam Centre opened in August of 1979, it was bordered by bush, a trailer park and houses scattered amid trees. Today, it is at the very heart of the third-largest commercial node in the Lower Mainland and is an integral part of the continuing success of the Coquitlam Town Centre area. It is our vision to establish Coquitlam Centre as a comfortable destination and retail address for the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas.

Coquitlam Centre is one of B.C.’s largest shopping malls, containing nearly 200 stores. Its location at Lincoln SkyTrain station provides easy transit access for people travelling throughout Metro Vancouver.

Situated on 57 acres of land in the heart of the Tri-Cities, Coquitlam Centre features over 930,000 square feet of retail on two spacious levels. Coquitlam Centre is the only shopping centre in Metro Vancouver offering Hudson’s Bay, London Drugs, Sport Chek, T&T Supermarket, UNIQLO, H&M, Aritzia, Sephora, lululemon, Atmosphere, Golf Town, Walmart, and Best Buy, all in one convenient location.

Step inside this multicultural mall for an eclectic variety of shops as well as mouth-watering restaurants anchored by the impressive Lee Garden Seafood Restaurant. The food court is a highlight, offering many international dishes. This mall is across the street from the Lincoln SkyTrain station close to Coquitlam Centre.

On the hunt for anything from couches to lighting fixtures? One of the best places in the Lower Mainland to shop for home furnishings is along United Blvd., off Trans Canada Hwy. This shopping corridor is a one-stop destination for furniture, lighting and appliances, plus renovation supplies from more than 15 chain and name brand retailers such as:

• End of the Roll
• Hard Rock Casino Vancouver
• IKEA
• Jordans
• JYSK
• MJM Furniture
• Robinson Lighting and Bath Centre
• Sandy’s Furniture
• ScanDesigns
• The Brick

Adjacent areas across the King Edward Overpass host IKEA, Bed Bath & Beyond, Winners & HomeSense and Home Outfitters. You’ll find many other large-scale retailers in the area such as Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Staples and Real Canadian Superstore, not to mention Fabricana and Value Village.

This area is also a popular shopping spot for parents and moms-to-be, with a cluster of baby and child supply and toy stores along Woolridge Street, including Toys R Us/Babies R Us, Snuggle Bugz and Once Upon a Child.

“Shop local” along this shopping avenue reminiscent of neighbourhood main streets and home to independent retailers including fishing tackle shop Sea-Run Fly & Tackle, Reflections Books Store and salons. Stop into the local deli or bakery for homemade products and grab a bite at one of the local restaurants. The Austin Heights Business Improvement Association organizes a free, annual family-friendly event in June called Daisy Day, which includes a free pancake breakfast, live music, and other fun activities.

In the market for organic produce and freshly baked goods? There’s that and so much more! The Coquitlam Farmers Market is the community gathering spot and the longest running suburban farmers market in the Lower Mainland. Held every Sunday morning from May to October outside the Dogwood Pavilion at Poirier St. and Winslow Ave., products on offer are made, baked, grown or raised in B.C.

Grab a coffee and pick up everything on your list from the dozens of vendors, including crafts and artisan products for those one-of-a-kind gifts. Enjoy lunch at an on-site food truck or homemade treats from the market stalls. Check the website for events that take place all season long like the annual blueberry pancake breakfast, chili cook-off and salmon barbeque.

Place des Arts Shop: Thoughtful gifts don’t need to come with a hefty price tag. Did you know that you can buy locally crafted works of art year round in the Place des Arts artisan shop? Hand-crafted treasures make great gifts!

Coquitlam Christmas Craft Fair: Purchase locally crafted Christmas gifts from any of the 100-plus artisans during this annual event at Poirier Forum.

Coquitlam Christmas Farmers Market: This special one-day event each December features local merchants, carollers, kids’ activities and crafts at Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex.

Did you know that Coquitlam is home to one of the largest Korean communities in all of Canada? Unofficially known as Koreatown, North Rd. is a hub of Korean business and activity, including restaurants and cafés to clothing shops and pharmacies – all with a multicultural flavour.

Here you can shop for imported goods, from trendy clothing and handy housewares to novelty items and culinary delicacies. Hanahreum Mart (known as H-Mart) is a popular Korean supermarket.

Nestled among Coquitlam’s neighbourhoods are shopping plazas with the usual amenities like grocery and produce stores, nail salons and liquor stores, but with each also offering something unique and delicious. Here are a few places to try on your travels:

1. Como Lake Village (Como Lake Ave. & Linton St.) MAP Try Mundy Park Bakery, Pizza One and Starbucks
2. Pinetree Village  (Pinetree Way & Lougheed Hwy.) MAP Head to Chapters, Chada Thai and Hunni’s (a local fashionista favourite)
3. Westwood Plateau Village (Parkway Blvd. & Johnson St.) MAP Try JAK’s Beer Wine and Spirits (one of the best local selections in the Lower Mainland), Plateau Pizza and Polly Pokinos Wings
4. Sunwood Square (Lougheed Hwy. & Westood St.) MAP Check out Pearl Fever Teahouse (bubble tea!), HAAN Korean BBQ and Matoi Sushi
5. Creekside Plaza (Barnet Hwy. & Landsdowne Dr.) MAP Try Cake n Sweets, M Cafe and Creekside Coffee Factory
6. Austin Station (Austin Ave. & Mariner Way) MAP Head to Donair Affair or Mega Sushi