The first time Cranberry Rose opened its doors, it was located on Langdon Crescent in the Slade House, as Liz Craigen fondly remembers. Now, the ladies' wear boutique is at home at 316 Main St. North, and the store's loving owner is retiring after more than 20 years in business.
Craigen first opened her doors in partnership with Yvette Moore, with home decor, giftware, a ladies' wear boutique and a tea room on the deck. Shortly after, Moore moved on to open the Yvette Moore Gallery, and Craigen stayed on Langdon Crescent for another 10 years.
“The old house,” as Craigen affectionately calls it, was famous for its ivy deck and homemade scones; the tea room was the primary focus of the little boutique, and the location made it a popular summertime spot.
“We called it the ivy deck because the roof of it was all ivy growing across it. So that became a very popular spot for summer for tea and lunches,” said Craigen. “We made everything homemade. One of the favorites was our scones with the Devonshire cream and lemon butter or strawberry butter.”
After a decade in the food service business, Craigen saw an opportunity to move her boutique to its current location on Main Street, which took some convincing but eventually came to fruition. She has now been in that space for over ten years.
Cranberry Rose combined Craigen’s desire for more creativity in her life and the joy she gets from shopping. Her vision was made possible through dedication and determination.
“I just sort of had the desire to do more than just sit at a desk. I wanted to be more creative,” said Craigen. “When the opportunity came up for the house on Langdon Crescent, I was very excited because I could go shopping and display it and make a living off it in, and buy clothes that people loved.”
After tearing up eight layers of carpet and linoleum, Craigen and her husband revealed the hardwood floors in the shop, vaulted the ceiling, and settled in. She said her space on Main Street is the best spot in downtown to be and is pleased with the continued support from her customers.
“Moose Jaw is a really good place to be in business because you know most of your customers already and they're friends,” said Craigen. “I am so fortunate that I had so much support from the community and surrounding areas — that really made the business. Without customers, you can't do anything. So I'm thanking all our customers for the many, many years, from the old house on Langdon to here, they've followed us and supported us for forever.”
She also credits her staff for her success and their continued loyalty that made her business special.
“I've had fantastic staff,” said Craigen. “And so I can't say enough about the staff I've had, they've just made my life so much easier. . . I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Craigen’s choice to retire will leave her free to visit her children and grandchildren, who live in various places across Canada and give her a chance to travel. She is sad to leave her business in the hands of another but excited to move forward and experience some new places.
As of Apr. 30, Cranberry Rose will be in the hands of the new owner, Christine Keck, who will be shadowing Craigen in the last few weeks of April before officially taking charge.
On Apr. 26, the shop will be hosting a celebration party for both Craigen and Keck, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the shop with refreshments and prizes.
