Victoria BC Shopping: Find Everything You Want and Everything You Need

Depending on what you are looking for, Victoria BC shopping is very similar to other Canadian cities of comparable size. You’ll find major clothing, furniture, home improvement and department stores. Plus you will also find a diverse selection of small, independent shops for a unique, one-of-a-kind shopping experience. And what Victoria may be most well known for, is our support for those who make, bake or grow goods and sell at Farmers Markets throughout the year. 

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Shops at Market Square in Victoria BCShops at Market Square in Victoria BC

There are several plazas and smaller shopping centres throughout the region and we have five main Victoria BC shopping malls.

Victoria BC Shopping Malls

Shopping hours vary from one place to the next but it is not unusual for stores in malls and plazas to close between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. every night of the week except Thursday and Friday. It is also not uncommon for stores that are not located within malls to be closed on Sundays or Mondays or both.

This is very different from some parts of Canada where shopping is available every night of the week until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. It also makes for extremely busy Saturdays when most people who work Monday through Friday find themselves getting all their errands finished. 

Black Goat holiday display in downtown VictoriaBlack Goat holiday display in downtown Victoria

Everyone has their favourite place to go shopping in Victoria. When I am looking for gifts to send relatives back East, I regularly head down to Government Street. It is the perfect place to pick up one of a kind gifts, souvenirs and mementos. And when tourist season is over, there are bargains galore! Sadly 2020 and 2021 didn't have much of a "tourist season" but that's another story altogether!

Government Street shoppingGovernment Street shopping

For a lot of women, shopping for accessories is a favourite pass time – whether it is for shoes, purses, scarves or jewelery. Almost every girl has a weakness. And Victoria has lots of stores to cater to those weaknesses!

My passion is purses. I have purchased a lot of purses in my lifetime and it seemed that every time I got rid of one, I always wanted it back again a short while later.

About 12 years ago I decided there was no need to get rid of anymore purses – and so my collection has grown. Even my son knows about my purse passion, bringing me back a stunning leather bag from a summer trip to Italy a couple years ago.  

I personally have three favourite places for finding purses – Roots, Winners and local thrift stores (not that I have never bought one elsewhere!) I love that Roots hand-makes their bags here in Canada using gorgeous Italian leathers.

I can always count on the classic designs and superior quality - and the more they age, the better they look.  If a Canadian-made purse or wallet is what you're looking for, you simply can't go wrong with Roots.

I like Winners for less-expensive, stylish bags in trendy colours, but I absolutely adore finding a bargain at thrift stores! My favourite thrift store find was a nearly new leather Derek Alexander (DAL) that I picked up for only $2.99! I still love that purse though I used it so much it definitely doesn’t look new any longer.

Roots Tribe Leather collection - purse and walletRoots Tribe Leather collection - purse and wallet

Of course Victoria BC shopping isn’t just about finding bargains. We may not have the fashion district of Toronto or Montreal but there are still plenty of choice in name-brand stores, luxury boutiques and local, independent specialty shops. Use our shop Victoria directory for a comprehensive list of crafters, makers, and artisans to support. 

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