A small downtown business and local artisans came together in the spirit of co-operation this weekend, as 4 Plants Indoor Gardening Supply hosted a grand opening event announcing the expansion of its storefront to include permanent space for 18 community artisans.
The grand opening took place on April 6 between 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the store’s downtown location and drew a steady stream of interested shoppers.
“We’re doing our grand opening of the expansion of the store,” announced Kim White, the owner of 4 Plants. “We’ve been here for five years, and we’ve added local handmade vendors to sort of make the store a little better.”
The expansion marks a diversification of the shop’s range of products and does not mean the store is re-branding or changing its focus, White confirmed.
4 Plants Indoor Gardening Supply continues to offer its range of gardening supplies, seeds, houseplants, and indoor gardening kits. To complement this, several vendors have slowly been incorporated into the space over the past six weeks.
The move aims to be mutually beneficial. For vendors, the storefront provides a space that many local artisans couldn’t otherwise afford as an option. White said these artisans no longer have to wait for the next trade show or scheduled event to showcase their creations.
For the downtown business itself, the move is an effort to remain open.
“You know, COVID-19 has really put us in a predicament,” White said. “We were close to thinking about closing our doors. This way, we’ve done the expansion to increase traffic (in order to) increase sales and to stay open ultimately.”
Several of the first vendors came on board after forming past relationships through trade shows, and White hopes this nexus can grow to include even more participants. The grand opening event, she specified, is focused on the vendors.
“Not only is my stuff advertised (putting) my business out there, but it’s become a group in itself where we all have our own support and we all have each other’s backs,” vendor Alison Zinn said.
Zinn is the owner of Canvas Chronicle, one of the 18 total vendors, and Gail Reader-Duchak, owner of Happiness of Homemade, was also available for comments.
“The value (of this space) is immense,” added Reader-Duchak. She said the move brings local vendors together in the spirit of co-operation and every aspect of the expansion helps the local business community.
To further enhance this relationship, White has also agreed to manage the advertising and sales aspects for each registered vendor.
The new space will remain a permanent feature at the shop, and residents can stop by in a show of support for Moose Jaw’s homegrown talent throughout the year during the store’s regular hours of operation.
As well, the co-operative and entrepreneurial idea highlights a valuable characteristic of Moose Jaw’s small business community. Perhaps White’s leadership can also help inspire other business owners who may find themselves in a seemingly desperate situation.
If you’re a vendor with an interest in promoting the sale of your products through a permanent, like-minded downtown establishment, White is interested in working with you to help support artists in the community.
Ideally, applicants would produce a local, hand-made product that can range from pickled eggs to fruit leather, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, beeswax wraps, plant hangars, paintings, and really almost anything.
“Anybody can approach me with their products, and I’ll put them on the list and hope that we can expand into more for sure,” confirmed White.
4 Plants Indoor Gardening Supply is located at 123 High Street West and can be reached at 306-972-4769 or [email protected]. The store is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is closed Sundays and Mondays.
