Local Nook

I'm not sure what it is, but I'm attracted to a local shop like a kid in a candy store. I walked into the River Market and was automatically pulled into the Local Nook because I could tell it was a new boutique and recognized some of the local brands in there. 

I contacted the owner's Grace and Grace, and here we are. Having not met them that day, we communicated our ideas all over email. We did things a little differently this time. There's a little something below you don't want to miss. 

What was the inspiration behind opening your boutique?

Local Nook bloomed naturally after opening Baby Nook. We kept bumping into so many talented local makers through our Baby Shop. We started to wonder what it would look like if we gathered a whole bunch of BC talent into one space to offer the community unique gift products from their own backyard of Beautiful British Columbia. 

How did you come up with the name?

We were playing with the idea of "space" in our name and loved the idea of a special hole in the wall. When we saw this space at The River Market, it felt like our little home for Baby and Local Nook.

What made two friends go into business together?

We actually started with a random idea to sell an online children's product together many years back, and one thing led to another, and we kind of fell into this business together. However, we wouldn't have done it if we didn't work well together. We complement each other really well, and both have easygoing personalities, which makes it easy to do business together. 

Why did you choose to collab with me?

We love to collaborate whenever we can with local makers and influencers because it benefits everyone involved! Any opportunity to collaborate is almost always a Yes. We say "almost" because we are still figuring out the work-life-kids-marriage balance thing. 

Why do you only carry local brands?

At Local Nook, we intentionally decided to carry not only Canadian but BC brands and makers to support and empower all the creative talent right here in our backyard. There is so much more than we anticipated, and we are thrilled to see what all of this brings. 

What was the deciding factor of the location?

We have done lots of seasonal or one-day markets with our baby brand in the past, and we have always enjoyed the marketplace scene. So when the opportunity came up to open up our very own shop at the River Market, it was a relatively easy decision. 

Was it challenging to open a boutique during a Pandemic?

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster, to say the least. There have been no predictable patterns month to month, week to week and even day to day sometimes. However, we have remained optimistically hopeful despite the ups and downs. It's been a humbling endeavour but one that has been rewarding nonetheless connected to the real lives of people, from our makers to our customers.

What's the best part of owning your business?

Being your own boss. It is the hardest part of owning a business, but it is also the best part. 

The owners have given my readers a promo code for the Summer. The code will be "innerjoy15" for 15% off online and in-store until the end of Summer. Code will expire end of August. Definitely check out their cute boutique. They have the cutest things in there, from Local Nook to their Baby Nook shop. I know this took me a little longer to publish, but some things can't be rushed. Happy Summer!