It's hard to believe how much has changed in the the 16 years since I first opened Sweetpea in 2009.  

At that time, I had a fax machine, and faxed my product orders to the companies I met at trade shows.  Online shopping existed, but it wasn't very popular yet.  Amazon was nowhere near the behemoth it is today.

In short, it was a different world!  

I operated the shop in the usual way; open 9-6 Monday to Saturday.  And approximately 98% of my sales were in-person.

Over time, things began to shift, and for a while things got a little tricky.  I was paying staff to be in the store 6 days a week, while also spending to build out a functional online store.  I spent hours of time building product listings online, while only about 5% of my sales came in through my website.

Fast forward to February 2020, and the world-wide shut down due to Covid-19.  Suddenly, I had to pivot (and so glad I already had a webstore up and running!).  It was that, or let the business I'd build over 11 years fail.  I immediately went to a hybrid pick-up/delivery/shipping model and my three out-of-school children came along for the ride.  

Once restrictions lifted, I opened for two days a week - Fridays & Saturdays - and kept the other options available too.  I love the energy and fun of the in-store shopping days, but customers were increasingly accessing the online options and it didn't make business-sense to go back to full-time hours.

Importantly, I had also finally found what felt like a livable work-life balance.  

Which brings us to today!  My in-store shopping hours are Fridays & Saturday from 10-3, and the rest of the time, customers place orders online and choose from free local delivery (usually next-day!), order pick-up (from self-serve lockers on our front step) or Canada-wide shipping.  

I'm prioritizing the long-term financial viability of the business through an ever-changing retail landscape, and I appreciate every single dollar you choose to spend with Sweetpea instead of sending it to Mr. Bezos!

I am honoured to have watched your families grow over the past 16 years, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

With love,

Tessa