Shoppers Drug Mart

The newly renovated Shoppers is a nice improvement for the neighbourhood, with a good grocery selection. HOWEVER, cashiers have consistently been extremely slow. Also, you have the walk through the cosmetics section to get to the rest of the store. This is a pain in the ass, and as a man who doesn’t wear make-​up, I don’t think I’m their target customer.

This is the store to avoid at all cost (and it does cost here, very expensive). The line ups at the cash are ridiculous. I’m not sure why they put in all these cash registers, they only use one, the rest are always closed. I’ve laid my purchases down several times and just left. I wouldn’t go there at all if it weren’t for the post office, and that isn’t by choice, when I get a registered letter, I have no choice but to do to this place. The postal service they run here is the worse. The new Woodgreen across the street looks promising. We really do need to support the small independent… While big or small they are both trying to make money, the small guys spends his money in the community, shopping, eating and might even be your neighbour.

I’ve actually given up shopping at this location. I go for my grandmother who likes a few of their generic brands & that’s it. The staff is surly on the best of days & the lines at the cash are just ridiculous. Having been a cashier in the past, I can only shake my head. My time is worth more than that.

I love this location! It always has everything I need and I appreciate the fact that, unlike some other Shoppers’, this one is all on one floor.
It’s very well laid out, with lots of space in the aisles. This branch also has a larger food section than most and unlike some other locations, never seems to run out of the staples like milk and bread. You can easily do a mini grocery run here, provided you already have your meat and veg!
Employees are very pleasant and helpful, but I echo the calls of other reviewers who are requesting for more staff. The lines can get long here; however, you can always run to the cosmetics register and get attended to there.
A pleasure to shop in!

This Shoppers Drug Mart location is not up to the standard of other Shoppers locations.
We come to this location because it’s nearby and convenient. But it’s not good. We frequently go to the one on Lakeshore even though it’s much farther away.
The people at the actual pharmacy here are pleasant, but other than that, this place has problems.
They theoretically sell TTC passes, but I’ve never been able to buy one. They’re always sold out. Go to the 7 – 11 down the street if you’re buying one any later than 3 days before the end of the month.
The single biggest issue here is that the place is understaffed. Almost every time I go in there are greater than a dozen people in line. I’ve taken pictures to illustrate this point. I’ve walked out without buying what I went in for on several occasions. I’m not going to wait in a line that long when all I’m there to do is ask if they have a TTC pass and have the overwhelmed cashier tell me they’re sold out.
Then there’s the issue of the panhandlers outside. True, the one guy is polite and all, but there are now multiple people panhandling outside the door on most days. Sometimes I just want to go into a store without having a conversation with the guys outside. I especially *love* it when one of them is smoking in front of the door.
There is parking. It’s around back. I wish there was an entrance closer to the parking, so you didn’t have to push the cart all the way around then back again, having two extra panhandler conversations in process. It appears that many people decide to simply leave the cart out back.
If you have a small purchase, go to the cosmetics counter to check out. The line is usually much, much smaller.

Dearest Shoppers Drug Mart @ Queen and Carlaw,
Please staff the checkout counters. The lines are always so long and the faces of the people in line are always so upset.
Once you do, I promise to upgrade my review to a full 5 stars as I love your store otherwise.
Thank you,
Jimmy

This was my nearest Shopper’s for over a year. I can’t rave enough about the pharmacy staff — they are well informed, helpful, clear in explaining things, and the late hours have saved my more than once.
The rest of the store staff are always extremely courteous and friendly. I have printed photos in the tech section, bought cosmetics/​toiletries, and groceries. The food selection is limited compared to some of the other larger Shopper’s locations (this has more to-​go stuff like candies, frozen food, chips, cold beverages, etc. than kitchen food) but there are lots of other food places in the area.
I don’t know what I was doing right, but though I was at this store pretty much every other day at random times throughout its hours (morning, afternoon, after work, evening, late night) I never had excessive waits at the cash, and only found a single cashier on duty late — usually there were two. I just never saw this place overly busy, especially compared to other Shopper’s locations. In case you don’t know though, if you are filling a prescrip, you can go shopping while you wait, then pay for the items at the prescrip counter, or you can go to the beauty counter.
What I do find is that the Canada Post outlet here seems to be busy no matter what time of day I go, long lineups and with only one staff member it can take a long time to get through it (I have had someone with their own business shipping out 50+ packages ahead of me before — that takes a long time to process), so I would recommend going elsewhere if you have that option.
And totally aside as to the mention of «vagrants»… Usually one person asking for change out front. For most of the past year it’s been the same super-​friendly and polite guy who wishes everyone a good day and doesn’t mention the cup in his hand unless you happen to put something in. I used to bake him cookies, because honestly he was so pleasant that it made my day happier when I would briefly chat with him. Recently other people seem to have found his spot and been rotating through, but as it is still only a single person it’s hardly intimidating or overwhelming.

I love hate relationship is firing up between me and this Shopper’s DM.
I love getting Optimum points, I love the proximity to my place, I love that there is a good candy selection, lots of beauty products, and great lighting. However, each and every time I visit this location, I’m faced with the task of checking out my purchases, which means, I have to line up. Line up in an ridiculous line, that, regardless of how long, I’m waiting for what seems like forever to get out there. Even just with one person ahead of me, does some sort if seriously time consuming event occur. And, with rarely more than one option to check out, I’m left waiting. In fact, I’ve drafted part of this review waiting in line. How is THAT for irony?

Okay, I admit it; I think I have a late night shopping fetish. A least once a week, I thought myself roaming the aisles of Shoppers Drug Mart. Because this is the location of closest to me, frequently I can be found around 10 o’clock in the evening shopping for shampoo, Band-​Aids, and the latest issue of Vouge. There’s something about being in this huge monument of consumerism that just makes me happy. The aisles are shiny, it’s nicely air-​conditioned, and there’s so many lovely things. How could you not love somewhere that sells both eggs and lip gloss?
That’s one of the great things about this particular location, it has an large grocery department as well as the necessities such as cosmetics, magazines, and while the crap I usually don’t deal with (if I wanted bladder control pads at 11pm I know where to get them). I mentioned they’re open until midnight right? The only draw back about this location, is the few times I do end up coming here during daylight hours I end up waiting absolutely for ever to get checked out. Though they have about six registers available the front, usually no more than one is open at any time.
While I reaches a long snake heading down the aisle, then usually they might call me be someone to open up another register. Until then, you wait with at least a dozen other people while someone debates up from the line if they want
BBQ Pringles regular Pringles. Please add more cashiers, please?

My wife enjoys this Shoppers for it’s large and well displayed selection of cosmetics
I like this Shoppers for its hours and its cheap milk, eggs, butter and cream.
I dislike this Shoppers for the ridiculously long line-​ups at cash. Can we please hire one more cashier?! There’s always a 5 minute wait regardless of the time of day. Ai ya!

This location is the closest to my place — and has all the necessities. The renovations are fantastic. But the same old problems remain… there’s always a line up at the check out. I’ve been coming here for about a year and a half… that’s seemingly enough time to improve staffing… maybe not.
They have a faux-​grocery section (frozen foods, canned stuff, etc), but no real produce.
They have a wee electronics section for your gaming needs? The cosmetics side is ok, the only higher end brand they carry is Anna Sui (which I like, so I’m not complaining).
All in all — it’s just ok. It’s open till midnight, and has a cycle of neighbourhood bums outside to greet you every time you enter and exit, and has what you need, along with a long line up while you wait to pay.
PS — there’s parking in the back, enter on the Carlaw side, it’s supposed to be one way.

This Shoppers is great now that the renovations are (finally) done, but dear god there are NEVER enough cashiers.
There are often MORE than 10 people in line in front of me. I have seen at MOST 2 tills open, and that is only if the lineup exceeds 35 people.
Need to mention these wins:
— They sell TTC day passes and tokens
— It’s extremely expensive to shop here but when things are on sale it’s usually a crazy sale (pistachios from $ 8 down to $ 2? I’ll take as many as I can carry!)
— There is a small parking lot you can access most easily from Carlaw just north of Queen
Pro tip: checkout at the beauty counter to skip the lineup (no TTC tokens here though).
Overall I will definitely come here again, not to be swayed by the vagrants outside. I actually kinda like Brian! (We’re 7 – 11 buddies).

When i’m on my way home form work i need something i usually stop here…
They have pretty much anything you need from a Shoppers. It never seems really busy in there. At least not when I happen to be shopping. There is a post office, which is super handy. Although why is it that every post office employee i’ve ever encountered seems to work at a snails pace?
There is a nice big health & vitamins area. I like the food section too.
A-​Ok

So the renovations are finally done and I have to say this place has done a total 360. There is a huge grocery area, cosmetic section and brightly lit aisles.
For some reason they are still missing some pretty crucial cosmetic brands such as Smashbox, Cover FX, and Benefit… but now I am just getting picky.
Good job shoppers!

I refuse to shop at this location, despite it being just a block from my home. it is worth the drive to the Lakeshore and Leslie location.

This Shoppers has undergone a major renovation and is FINALLY completed. The scaffolding is gone, the aisles are all sorted and it has been officially upgraded to Shoppers-​nouveau with the high end makeup counter, the grocery area and the supplement/​wellness nook.
Please note the panhandlers still hang out front. A friend of mine overheard an argument, and apparently Shoppers is THE place to panhandle and the neighborhood unsavories all fight for the privilege.
I am happy Shoppers is so close (seconds from my house) for last minute purchases, contact lens solution, pantyhose, jars of spaghetti sauce, and of course Canada Post.
The issue is that there is NEVER enough staff on. The after work hours of 5 – 7 are completely ridiculous, with every Leslievillian stopping in to grab some things, and one or two cashiers on. The lineups usually snake back into household cleaning supplies.
The cashiers are nice, the layout is good, its open late, has food items if you eat convenience/​processed stuff, Canada Post. The lineups are horrific.

Dispensing fees are crazy.

Dear Shoppers Drug Mart at Queen & Carlaw,
I enjoy your extended hours (7am till midnight every day!) very, very much. My social circle thanks you for satisfying my late night shopping urges — it prevents them from having to hear (yet again) that Toronto doesn’t have enough SDMs that are open late. However, I must beg you to swiftly remedy three things about your store.
1. Your cashier «Tanya» really, really needs some backup. Hell — maybe even a day off here and there? Every time I come in, she’s working. I’ve seen a coiling lineup of customers that extends to the back of aisle 2 form and she’s been left to deal with it alone, with no second cashier. Not to mention the fact that I go by on the Queen streetcar at least once a day, and whenever I glance into your store, I see Tanya. All alone. Please give this sweet and friendly cashier a day off so she can continue providing us with smiles.
2. Please hire a security guard at night. Along with the usual riffraff harassing me for change as I enter AND exit, there are a lot of customers of questionable integrity milling about in your store, and I think you could benefit from having a positive (but menacing) presence on hand to deal with it.
3. Finally, please grant me the willpower to drop less than $ 50 per visit to your store.
Optimally Yours,
Kat F.

Two Bruce McCulloch sightings here.
Totally awesome addition to my east-​end drug store experience. Enough said.
(Mental note: Listen to more Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet.)

as far as semi-​large stores go this is pretty damn good. they have a little bit of everything and a range of quality as well. its one major block away from my house and i buy and continue to buy many things from there like toiletries, organic food (this is the best and most surprising part), juices, prescriptions, junk food, and the list goes on.
other features which makes it so useful are the post office, the automatic blood pressure tester, the optimum card and most specifically for this location the staff is great, very friendly and down to earth.
this location also seems to have a prized spot for getting change. there is always someone different (but only one person at a time) that stands squarely in front of the entrance and exit telling you to have an nice day.