Montrealers magasinent (shop) with a vengeance, so it's no surprise that the city has 160 multifaceted retail areas encompassing some 7,000 stores. The law allows shops to stay open weekdays 9-9 and weekends 9-5. However, many merchants close evenings Monday through Wednesday and on Sunday. Many specialty service shops are closed Monday as well. Just about all stores, with the exception of some bargain outlets and a few art and antiques galleries, accept major credit cards. Most purchases are subject to a federal goods-and-services tax (GST) of 6% as well as a provincial tax of 7.5%. More »