Laval personal shopping: hiring and planning

Choose the scope before comparing shoppers

Describe the result you want in concrete terms. For groceries, provide quantities, preferred brands, dietary restrictions and substitution instructions. For clothing, identify the occasion, sizes, fit concerns and items you already own. For gifts, give the recipient’s preferences and decide whether the shopper should arrange wrapping.

Ask each candidate which tasks they will undertake. A request to collect a prepared order needs a different brief from a request to select outfits with you. For wardrobe work, ask to see examples of their approach and discuss whether you want advice, purchases on your behalf or an in-person fitting session.

Agree on your preferred language for messages and appointments. If you need assistance while moving through stores, describe the help you expect, including carrying bags, taking breaks and reaching the delivery point. Confirm those arrangements with the shopper rather than assuming they form part of the booking.

Separate the shopping budget from the service fee

Request a written quote that separates merchandise spending from the shopper’s fee and expenses. Ask whether preparation, travel between stores, checkout queues, delivery and returns count as billable time. For an hourly quote, agree on a spending ceiling and require approval before the shopper extends the session.

Set a maximum purchase amount and a rule for substitutions. You might approve replacements within a stated limit, require a photo before buying clothing, or ask the shopper to skip unavailable items. Agree on a payment method and how the shopper will document purchases, reimbursements and unused advances.

This guide does not establish a local personal-shopper rate. Use the written scope to compare quotes, then ask candidates to explain any difference in included work. Treat transit fares below as a separate outing expense, not as a measure of the shopper’s service charge.

Agree on receipts and returns before checkout

Québec’s Office de la protection du consommateur explains that merchants do not have to exchange or refund a non-defective item. Merchants may set their own return conditions, and they must respect the policy they adopt. Ask the shopper to check those conditions before buying an item you have not tried on. [3]

Decide who will keep receipts, track return deadlines and make a return trip. Ask whether the shopper charges for that trip and how you will approve it. For final-sale items, require your express approval before checkout.

The consumer office recommends bringing the invoice, return-policy documents, instructions and warranty documents when requesting a return. Ask the shopper to hand over the relevant paperwork with your purchases and retain tags and packaging until you decide what to keep. [3]

Plan the outing around access and store hours

For an accompanied outing, choose the meeting point, stores, transport method and return destination together. Ask who pays the shopper’s fares or other travel expenses. If the itinerary includes Montréal, confirm the ticket before boarding: STL says payment aboard its bus does not allow a transfer to another mode such as the métro. [1]

For wheelchair access, verify an accessible boarding stop, an accessible destination stop and a bus with a ramp. STL warns that snow or poor weather can prevent safe ramp deployment at some accessible stops. Agree on a backup transport or delivery arrangement before a winter appointment. [2]

Check each store’s hours before a holiday booking. Québec’s published schedule for general commercial establishments permits opening from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on December 24, 2026, requires closure on December 25, and permits opening from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on December 26. Grocery stores and pharmacies follow different rules. [4]

Regular single fares for planning an accompanied shopping trip

Match the booking to the help you need

Your hiring checklist

1. Write the shopping list, priorities and acceptable substitutions.
2. Separate the merchandise limit from the service-fee limit.
3. Confirm preparation, travel, waiting and delivery charges.
4. Agree on purchase approvals and a payment method.
5. Specify the meeting point, delivery location and carrying assistance.
6. Assign responsibility for receipts, return deadlines and return-trip fees.
7. Confirm store hours and transport arrangements before the appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I compare personal-shopping quotes?

Give each candidate the same brief and ask for separate merchandise, service and expense amounts. Confirm when hourly billing starts and ends, whether a minimum applies, and how the shopper handles extra stores or unavailable items. Compare the total agreed scope.

Can I return clothing if I change my mind?

For non-defective goods, Québec merchants do not have to accept a return. They must honour any exchange and refund policy they adopt. Ask the shopper to check the policy before purchase and agree on who handles a return. [3]

Can I use a regular Bus ticket for a métro shopping trip?

STL Bus tickets do not cover the métro, train or REM. For métro travel from Laval within zones A and B, choose an appropriate Tous modes AB ticket. Check the whole itinerary before buying a fare. [1]

Should I book holiday grocery errands like clothing shopping?

Check the specific store before booking. Québec applies different holiday rules to general retailers, food stores and pharmacies. Food-store rules also depend on sales-floor area, so do not assume a grocery store follows the same schedule as a clothing store. [4]