Store hours are usually Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm.
In Roseau, the Old Market Plaza, of historical significance as a former slave-trading market and more recently the site of a Wednesday-, Friday-, and Saturday-morning vegetable market, now houses three craft shops, each specializing in coconut, straw, and Carib craft products.
The handmade Dominican vetiver-grass mats sold at Tropicrafts Island Mats, 41 Queen Mary St. and Turkey Lane (tel. 767/448-2747), are known throughout the world, and you can watch the weaving process during store hours. They also sell dolls, shopping bags, and place mats, all appliquéd by hand.
Outlets for crafts include Dominica Pottery, Bayfront Street at Kennedy Avenue, Roseau (no phone), run by a local priest. An array of pottery made from local clays is on sale, as well as other handicrafts. Ego Boutique, 9 Hillsborough St., Roseau (tel. 767/448-2336), has the best selection of clothing, much of it in the classic West Indian style, along with some locally made crafts and home accessories.
Crazy Banana, Leopold Building on the waterfront (tel. 767/449-8091), offers a little preview of some of the best items for which the Caribbean is known, including handicrafts, handmade jewelry, bottles of rum, cigars, and regional paintings.
