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Orfus Road: 8 Tips to Help You Shop

Orfus Road

As far as Toronto’s bargain shopping hubs are concerned, Orfus Road, which is located just west of Dufferin Street and North of Lawrence Avenue, is one of the very best. Orfus Road is packed with factory stores, clearance outlets and liquidation centres. Orfus Road’s collection is exhaustive enough to fulfil all of your shopping needs. It’s definitely one of the things you must do in Toronto. You can even find some thrift stores there.

This retail strip only takes about 12 minutes to walk the length of it, allowing you to make the most out of your day, including a weekend spree of shopping with friends and family. But first, here is our list of thing to know so that you have fun with your shopping experience and savings: 

8 Tips On How To Shop On Orfus Road

Go During The Week 

Deal makers know that wedding season is the worst time to get married as all the rates are jacked up, the same goes for shopping at Orfus Road. Instead of shopping during the weekends when it’s crowded, try coming here during the week between 3 and 5 PM. This way, the shops are quiet and neat, allowing you to think before you buy. 

Returns and Exchange

Speaking of thinking before you buy, crowded places can make you shop fast. Ultimately it’s a good idea to know the store’s return policy as soon as you enter the store. Some stores on Orfus Road do entertain returns and exchanges, and you’ll need to present your bill for that. However, small pieces of paper are notoriously easy to misplace. So once you buy something,take a photograph of your bill with your smartphone’s camera. That way, you will never misplace your bill. Apply the same technique with your shopping list as well, and you will never forget what you wanted to buy. 

TTC Accessible

Orfus Road can easily get blocked with cars all over the retail strip’s parking lot. So here’s a cool tip to avoid parking at every few stores: just walk the strip. As Orfus Road is accessible via the 29 Dufferin Bus or by walking just five minutes south of Yorkdale Shopping Centre, enter the strip on foot.

Summer Fashion Shoppers, Rejoice! 

Fancy shopping for a sunny destination? Orfus Road is the perfect place to score trendy, summer fashions treasures that won’t dent your wallet. 

Continue walking west down Orfus and you’ll begin to notice the slow increase in 50 percent off signs and mannequins, which is a sign that you’ve arrived at the street’s core. Although you won’t find high-end fashion outlets here, you do have a large selection of retailers to choose from. Some of the coolest places include the Roots Last Chance Outlet, Kitchen Stuff Plus Outfit, Urban Planet Outlet, and the West 49 Outlet. On top of that, Orfus Road also has outlets from Ardene, Bluenotes, Designer Depot, Fairweather, International Clothiers and many more brands. 

Go Light With Personal Belongings

While you hop from shop to shop on Orfus Road, many stores might ask you to check any purchases from other retailers, oversized purses and large parcels. These precautions are taken by the stores to reduce pilferage. To have a hassle free shopping experience on Orfus Road, you are better off leaving your personal belongings at home or in your car. In fact it’s a good idea to dump any large parcels back in your car before entering another store.

Washroom Breaks

Public washrooms are at a premium on Orfus road and you will struggle to find them. So for your washroom needs, check out larger, national retailers like Kitchen Stuff Plus and Party City for a clean bathroom break. Party City is toward Caledonia where you’ll start to see an influx of kids and their parents running – likely with some balloons from Party City – toward Rinx, the premiere local spot for kids’ birthdays. 

Not Everything Is Always Open

Since Orfus Road has independent retailers, there is a discourse of operating hours. So a good tip to keep in mind is to call ahead whichever store you want to visit before you leave to 

confirm operating hours.

Dine and Shop 

Providing source of sustenance pre-or-post-shopping, Orfus Road has you and your family’s back. 

At Dufferin and Lawrence, you’ll find a number of restaurants to choose from like Burger’s Priest (on the northeast corner of Dufferin ) and Uncle Tetsu’s. The Japanese Cheesecake outlet is always crowded. It’s especially crowded on weekends so you will struggle to find a place to sit inside on Saturdays and Sundays.

In case you want to pick up some cheese for yourself, check out Grande Cheese. The place has a massive selection of cheese, meat and other groceries. Though Grande Cheese doesn’t usually provide massive discounts, it does run weekly special deals. Across the street from there, you can also find the Grande Cheese Factory Outlet. The massive Italian superstore is right next to Dollarama and has sold Italian staples like antipasto and olive oil for over 25 years. As soon as you enter the place, you will be welcomed by a waft of delicious, cheesy smell. The place stocks more than 40 different types of cheese which are available in all sizes and shapes, from tiny bocconcini to gigantic parmesan wheels. 

While you are at Orfus Road, don’t forget to try out the famous hot dog stands and ice cream trucks everywhere. Gorging on those delights is an essential part of the Orfus Road shopping experience.

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