L’Affaire est dans l’sac is a little purse shop that I just ran into while checking out the Galeries des Sources liquidation mall. It is a good West Island spot to find inexpensive purses, backpacks, luggage, wallets and evening bags

Location: Galeries des Sources at Boul. Sources and the Transcanadienne
Tel: 514-421-2422
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5

Though LaFlamme Electrique is mainly a repair service, you can find a tiny selection of appliances (juicers, toaster-ovens, food processors, irons, etc.) by Rival, Moulinex, Braun, T-fal, Bionair and Krups. They’ve been re-conditioned and are in perfect working order; most have a 1-year guarantee and sell for about 15% – 25% less than in the stores.

Location: 1133 Beaubien Est de la Roche (514-273-5755) and 1596 Amherst (514-527-9151).
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat 9-3

With the shift towards wood floors, floating wood floors, and fake photos-of-wood floors being so hot these days, there will come a time (winter!) when they will also be so cold. You can add warm and zuzz them up with area rugs. Rugs aren’t a commitment like wall-to-wall carpeting (nor so pricey) and you can change the whole look of a room by just changing the rug. Tapis Galerie Normandy is a terrific family-run flooring store which can find you just about any kind you may want or need.
For 39 years, this family-run business has been selling quality carpeting from major Canadian, American and European mills. Since they buy in volume for their commercial sales, they can meet and beat the prices of their competitors. Once you’ve entered, expect the friendly staff to give you an education on carpeting. They also carry wood floors, wood laminates, runners, and exclusive designer lines and can do custom bordering.

Location: 950 boul. St-Jeanboul.
Corner: Boul. Brunswick
Tel: 514-426-7847
Hours: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5 (seasonal)

Finally, one of the best fair-priced, fashionable children’s (0-14) clothing chains from the U.S. has landed on our doorstep. Look for the specialty marked racks with a further percentage-off sales. Timed right, you can often scoop stuff up for under $10 – or under $5. Now is one of those time

Locations: Mail Champlain (450-466-9511) Carefour laval (450-682-1745); Les Galeries d’Anjou (514-351-9109); Place Versailles (514-352-2069); Carrefour Angrignon (514-595-4613); Fairview Pointe Claire.
Hours: Regular plus Sun 12-5
www.childrensplace.com

If you love the clothing at this chain StyleXchange , you’ll love the clearance event going on tonight. If you head to the malls below after they close, both guys and girls can stock up (at 50% off) on, perhaps, Jack & Jones, Lady Dutch, Super Dry, Vera Moda, Diesel, Gas, Triple Five Soul, Blend, G Star, Bench and Foxy etc.

Locations: Place Montreal Trust, Fairview Pointe Claire, Place Versailes, Champlain Mall
Hours: 9:30 pm-1 am
www.stylexchange.com

I have watched many businesses transform in the twenty-three years I have been covering the shopping scene. Bouclair was a fabric and notions store that started drifting into curtains, pillows and the like. Now that hardly anyone is sewing  these days, they have chucked the fabrics out of the store and are concentrating on home accessories like: linens, towels, mirrors, wood and bamboo blinds, bamboo baskets, leather ottomans with storage, leather dining chairs ($99), tons of pillows, vases and more.

Locations: Quartier Laval,624 boulevard Le Corbusier (450-687-2620; Carrefour Laval, 3035, Boul. Le Carrefour(450-681-1862); Carrefour Laval, 2585 Daniel Johnson Blvd.(450-682-5541); 5885, boul. Robert-Bourassa (450-665-0270); Ste. Dorothée, 510 Autoroute 13 (450-969-0281); Anjou, 7250 Des Roseraies Blvd.
(514-355-4858); Vaudreuil, 3080, De la Gare Blvd.(450-455-7701); 3149-A Des Sources Blvd.(514-683-4711); Marché Central (514-384-8856); 4425 Jean-Talon Blvd. E. (514-725-9175); 11277 Lacordaire Blvd.(514-327-1113); 2101 Dollard Blvd.,Place Newman (514-365-7337).
Hours: Regular
www.bouclair.com