What imagery pops into your mind’s eye when you think of a small town general store? If you imagine a mom and pop shop that carries a little of this and a little of that, you’d be exactly right.
And that’s just the image Niverville resident Noella Andres wants you to have as she prepares to launch her unique new shop: The Community General Store.
Coming in summer of 2020, The Community General Store will be well-stocked with body and skincare products, candles, pottery, plants, flowers, stationery, prints, and posters, not to mention a nostalgic collection of antiquities at its location at 10 Cedar Drive.
“I really want this shop to have a community feel where everyone feels welcomed and appreciated,” Andres says. “I hope that when community members have family or friends visiting from out of town, they will have a sense of pride and want to take them to the shop to show them Niverville’s ‘cute little gift shop,’ similar to how I take friends and family to The Forks.”
While the goal is to create a shop that carries a little something for everyone, Andres’ vision has three main areas of focus.
The first is to provide ready-to-go fresh flower bouquets. As well, shoppers will find a lush variety of house plants and decorative pots, along with a do-it-yourself potting station where custom-made potted plants can be assembled for gifts or for personalized home decor.
Andres’ second focus is to provide a zero waste refillery station offering a wide selection of non-toxic household and body care products.
“You will be able to bring any jar in and fill it with shampoo, conditioner, [liquid] hand soap, laundry soap, dish soap, bath salts, and so much more,” Andres says. “It is important to me that I do my best to reduce the amount of waste leaving my store and hopefully make a difference in the way others think about their plastic and waste consumption.”
Finally, a well-curated gift shop is in store for those looking for that something special for someone special.
“It has been my dream… to open up a space that would allow me to feature [crafters and artisans] from across Canada,” adds Andres. “I wanted a quaint little shop… where it felt like home and not a big box store. Where people would feel good spending their money knowing that it is supporting not only myself but the makers [whose products] I carefully curated to carry in-store.”
Andres adds that all of her giftware will be Canadian-made in keeping with her desire to help bolster the local economy and support independent entrepreneurs such as herself.
And like any mom and pop shop, Andres anticipates her family to be very much involved in the day-to-day management of the store.
“Part of the reason this venture is so important to me is that I wanted something my kids and family could call their own,” Andres says. “My dad, who has a passion for antiques, will be helping to pick out the perfect items to share with the community. My husband will be right alongside me the entire time as well.”
But even before the physical store opens its doors to the public, Andres plans to have an attractive and well-functioning website and social media platform set up. And she’s just the person to get that done with more than 15 years experience in photography, website design, and social media administration.