The Mercantile

Came here looking for some last minute Christmas gifts and it did not disappoint! Great selection of locally made, well priced kitchen supplies and foods. Will definitely be back!

The selection of items at The Mercantile is carefully curated — so much to choose from, you can’t go wrong!
GIFT BASKETS are a life saver. I order all my client holiday gift baskets from here — the process is painless (a quick phone call or email), the items are top quality, you’re supporting a local business owner and the rave reviews from my clients makes me look really good! A great place for gift items or a special treat.

Great selection of hard to find, gourmet snacks, spreads and spices plus seasonal treats. They have all the best mustards, marinades, and pickles, in short just about any condiment you need. Plus they really support local producers and know their stuff.

This was my second visit to this store and it didn’t disappoint. A smallish store but they make up for it in terms of variety. I had noticed their great selection of Kusmi tea on the last visit and was planning on exploring it a bit more on this visit. They even had some new offerings which I haven’t seen elsewhere.
The salesperson was helpful and provided assistance when needed. A good place to browse if you are in this area.

The Mercantile is one of those places like so many others that only partially understands its business.
Because it has neat, potentially harder to find items, it can (and does) charge a premium for these items. You can find bitters, specialty sauces and spices, and some creative gift ideas here.
Unlike Tim Horton’s, businesses like The Mercantile need a much higher level of customer service to generate increased sales and repeat customers. I spent 10 minutes in here and was never offered help.
I came in here and bought something that I thought was unique. However, I would have probably bought more if someone had waited on me. Furthermore, I would probably be more likely to return had someone taken a moment to make a bit of a personal connection with me.
Perhaps they have enough business already. I may be back, but won’t be in a rush.

This is a fun store, that stocks quite a lot of hot sauces (one in particular seems to be just habaneros in a sauce). Thy also have syrups, spices, lots of sauces, pastas. kind of your every day general food store but with an upscale feel. I did not have a problem with customer service in the slightest. They also veer towards the eco-​friendly side with eco-​friendly soaps and organic foods.

The Mercantile is such a cute store.
If you are into cooking, enjoy all the spices, condiments and marinade here.
Ginger Syrup. not only for cooking for great for a nice cocktail or a spice up your drink.
Those different kind of salts. truffle infused? Beacon Salt? Let me sprinkle some on my french fries…
Brix Chocolate? Great for pairing with Champagne, Riesling and Pinot Noir!
Ok you don’t need to be into cooking to enjoy and be inspired by the merchandise at The Mercantile.

I walked into this store and found out very quickly that their was nothing really special about this place, there is also nothing really «bad» about it either… it’s just plain vanilla. I came in here prepared to be «wowed» but instead I discovered a lot of mediocre foodie stuff that you can get at the local metro.
These places are a dime a dozen, you can find them in abundance in the West of the city (particularly Oakville), so in a nutshell; been there, done that… nothing special.

The Mercantile is a great place to pick up interesting spices and spreads and my friends swear by their dark coco hot chocolate. My only beef is that things seem scattered everywhere and the setup is a bit overwhelming.
Although I do think they could rework their customer service tactics I don’t share Susan M.‘s racial concerns. I too am a visible minority and to be honest I didn’t think the staff here was rude per se… I just don’t see why on a busy shopping day such as Dec 23, you would have both your sales associate behind the cash and none of the floor helping customers.
I was looking for bacon salt and since there was no one available to help me I had to lineup in order to ask for assistance. Now that I know where it’s located (first left wall as you walk in) my next visits will most likely more efficient.

I’ve only used their online service to buy gift baskets, but the recipients have always commented on how lovely the selection of stuff is, and the service on the phone is lovely and helpful. Love having these folks as a solution in Toronto.

I used to shop here all the time but the construction hell on Roncesvalles has kept me away. They have a really good selection of interesting sauces, dips, peppers, and other food items. I would pick up gluten free items here as well. I love all the metal containers I bought here (for cat and dog food, laundry soap, and recycling). A section of eco products too. The owner was often there when I was shopping. She was always helpful and very knowledgable about her products.

I have accidentally spent so much money on random bottles of olive oil and jam from this store that I have yet to open. however, If you’re a foodie, it’s full of sauces, spreads, dips, spices, chocolates, cookies, teas, coffee etc. that you will love. It’s my go-​to spot for house warming and hostess gifts. It can be a bit overwhelming — three different types of pink salt? And prices will add up… but the staff are usually quite friendly and willing to help pull together a few different items for a gift basket. If you’re really into that bacon fad, they had a whole table full of that junk.

I walked into this store to check out what it was all about and BIG SHOCKER the woman in the store was VERY SNOBBISH towards me and I swore to myself that I would NEVER EVER GO IN THERE AGAIN. She could have cared less that I had walked into the store.
Asked her if she had any Saffron and she looked at me like ooh please you can’t afford to buy Saffron… She merely looked up to answer my question… We keep the Saffron behind the cash register and it’s $ 10.00 per lb… So What Lady???
So to all you other visible minorities out there PLEASE BEWARE, do not go into this store as you will be made to feel so unworthy…

The Mercantile may very well be my new favourite place to browse for an hour and end up buying things I don’t actually need.
This store has everything. Absolutely any kind of specialty item you can imagine. Spice rubs. Spice kits (locally assembled specially for The Mercantile and available in Essential & Indian spice formats). Spice jars in seven styles with different lids (screw top, mason, pop off, shaker top, etc). Tea kits. Tea bags. Jams and jellies of all sorts. Loose tea. Bulk nuts and dates. And then there’s the cleaning products section, the baskets, the treats and cookies.
There is just so much to look at and it’s all beautifully organized and styled. If you’re looking to jazz up your kitchen cupboards or living space there’s surely something in the store that will catch your eye.

The Mercantile is great for gifts and great for self-​gifts. Personally, I was all about the self-​gifting when I was in here, but I also managed to pick up one thing for someone else.
The place is essential for any sort of foodie. They’ve got a great selection of food accessories and things to make your cooking life easier. The meat rubs that Kim mentioned are actually amazing — they’ve got little sampler containers for you to smell exactly what Caribbean spices are going to be like on your chicken, among a gazillion other kinds.
They have cute gift ideas like different sets for a «do-​it-​yourself» night — like if you feel like making sushi or Indian, the owner has put together a little set with everything you need for the night. GREAT idea.
Also if you’re a health-​conscious person or if you have a gluten allergy, there is a huge selection of gluten-​free products including chips and crackers! There is hope for people whose bodies reject gluten, and the Mercantile can help you stay on track.
Stuff does go on sale too, so it’s worth stopping in for a gander every once in a while!

If I ever bake a really fancy cake and require a beautiful cake dome to display it in, now I know where to buy it.
Okay, The Mercantile offers much more than just fancy cake domes (but they are fancy, just so you know…). They sell all sorts of specialty foods and treats– from chocolate ladybugs to marvelous tea blends to meat rubs (that’s right, MEAT RUBS) to… oh, I don’t know… fancy cake domes, maybe?
You can go in and pick out a few things say for stocking stuffers or small gifts OR you can pick things out and have them made into a unique gift basket.
They also offer a substantial variety of natural products (soaps, doggie treats, etc.) which is good for the green in ya.