Shopping in Downtown Nanaimo
The primary mall downtown is Port Place, which has a good stock of stuff you need, including gelato. But if you're shopping for more character and the experience of Downtown Nanaimo, you need to walk up Commercial St, which has a big hole on one side right now - but we have special plans for that hole, so don't worry.).
There are lots of shops along Commercial, and you should make sure you check out everything down Church St, too (near the Bastion).
Heading uphill across the Bastion St Bridge, you'll see an old church on the left (old for this part of the world). Now the street you're on is called Fitzwilliam, and you can see the exposed strata of old Nanaimo as you climb the hill. This is the Old City Quarter, where you'll find boutiques and specialty stores, diverse food choices, and a cobbler's shop that looks like a blacksmith's. There's also a pub (the Oxy) at the top of the Quarter, in an old restored heritage building by the railway.
If you want to see all the shops downtown, especially if you want to sniff out some extra used book stores, antiques, pawn shops, and the Sound Heritage music store, you should check out Victoria Crescent and Nichol Street.