Borden Mercantile Co. Ltd. - Victoria, British Columbia

Mercedes B.

We recently visited Borden Mercantile on Borden Street, behind the Saanich Centre. Although a few people I know had recommended Borden in the past, we hadn’t had a pressing need to visit their store until now. We were having difficulty finding a specific gadget to help us water our garden more efficiently, so we initially went to Home Depot, but their selection was not exactly what we were looking for. The Home Depot salesperson suggested we try Borden, which we did. Borden Mercantile is a remarkable store, centrally located and offering an incredible variety of agricultural merchandise, including pet foods, garden supplies, seeds and plants—you name it. It would take several visits to explore every inch and corner and discover the full extent of their products. We spent a considerable amount of time browsing. Although we didn't find the watering products we were looking for, we ended up purchasing potting soil, terracotta pots, fish fertilizer, and a large support for a vine. Their prices are reasonable, and their customer service is excellent. The three salespeople I spoke with went above and beyond the call of duty to assist me in finding the items I was seeking. I will definitely return, and I highly recommend this store for all your gardening needs.

Carrie

Literally a hidden gem for local pet owners, gardeners, bee keepers, candlemakers and soap makers! All the necessary supplies you could ask for, and much more, with helpful staff to answer all your questions! Prices are the best in town! I highly recommend you check out this invaluable locally owned resource that has been serving locals for 88 years!!

Ross V.

An obvious fashionista, when i was having grave troubles finding the right dog bed to match my outfit, I knew immediately where to go! Kendra and her spidey fashion senses wasted no time in finding me the perfect combo! Donatella Versace, Chiara FerragnI, nor Calvin Klein ain’t got nothing’ on her and Borden Mercantile!
Thank you Borden Mercantile and Kendra!!

Always a pleasure. The staff are uber helpful. Jen is always such an epic help and kind.
Today, Kendra went above and beyond. Not really a surprise as with an employee named “Ross”, they all must all be awesome!

DB P.

Their beeswax was less than half the price here compared to the other local source I could find, Nezza naturals. They had an amazing assortment of things, but I was most impressed with the collection of different waxes, oils, essential oils, and much more catering to DIY natural product making (creams, lip chaps, balms, etc)

Just found this great store today for the first time and I’m glad I did. It’s tucked into the underground parking lot across from Reynolds school on Borden.

Rodrigo F.

Too be honest I was a bit confused. Is this a pet shop or a garden store? Seems to have a mix of both. I went for the gardening stuff and I was able to find what I needed. However, store was very dirty and a lot of the items had a thick layer of dust in them. Staff was very friendly.

Savannah B.

The best spot in town for all the odds and ends for your pets, garden, and creative outdoor and indoor ambitions! I’ve been there so many times and still am always astonished by the array of items in there and the kindness of the staff!

Chris

Borden Mercantile has a great selection of products to suit my various hobbies, from candle making supplies to soap supplies and garden equipment. Their pricing is quite reasonable and their staff are helpful when I have had to return some items due to issues on my end.

To the previous reviewer who gave Borden Mercantile a one star review, I would like to submit that you please take note of a few ideas. While I don't know you personally, you did mention that you are an experienced beeswax user, however I wanted to confirm if you are experienced primarily with pellets or with bricks. The pellets have a much different smell than the bricks. The bricks have a pleasant beeswax smell however the pellets have virtually no smell, or a slight chemical smell. This is by design due to how they are processed and if you are looking for the classic beeswax smell, please buy the bricks. Additionally, it appears in your photos that the beeswax candles may not be fully set, and from my experience with the pellets, they do look quite white before they set and even when they do set they are slightly less yellow than beeswax candles made with the bricks.

I do not work for Borden Mercantile. I am just a customer. However, I have worked with them long enough to know they would love to make things right for you if you would just reach out to them. They will set you up with the correct product.

I quickly reviewed your review history and the majority of your reviews appear to be one star reviews. Please consider the impact your review has on small local businesses. Had you reached out to them, I am positive they would set you up with what you need, regardless of whether they mislabeled a product or if it was due to inexperience working with pellets versus bricks.

Thank you,

Chris

Lily O. T. P.

Sweet little hidden feed store, has a lot of gardening, pet and craft supplies. Great staff (including the kitties).