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Top Shops: A Walk on the Wild Side
A walk on the wild side |
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Written by Amanda Ryder
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Florist offers up an exotic blend
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Staff from
Evangeline’s Flower Hut in Steinbach, Man., from left to right, Rachel Friesen, Katharina Kahn, owner Evangeline Loewen, Ina Bloch and Melissa Plett.
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Steinbach, Man., is home to a number of florists who cater to the flower-loving public and competition can be stiff for new players entering the market. In just the few years it has been open, the staff at Evangeline’s Flower Hut have worked hard to establish the shop’s own wild and woodsy look, and feel that’s worked to set the florist apart from all the others.
Evangeline’s Flower Hut has a fun and fresh appearance that lets the customers know immediately what the shop is all about. The shop carries a large array of exotics and puts a strong emphasis on the style of design staff offer. In addition to owner Evangeline Loewen, the florist has four staff members on board, all of whom are involved with design work. Loewen says when they create arrangements, they try to present unique and interesting designs. Her goal is to offer boundary-pushing designs that, in the past, were not typically available in Steinbach. “Our designs have a modern, exotic feeling and many times they have an exotic look, even if they don’t use exotic flowers.”
At a Glance
Company Name:
Evangeline’s Flower Hut
Location:
Steinbach, Man.
Owner:
Evangeline Loewen
Years in Service: 2
Facility Space:
1,800 square feet
Website:
www.evangelines
flowerhut.com
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Even from the outside, the florist’s tropical and exotic style is evident just by looking at the wooden slats that frame the top of the storefront and the palm tree-adorned shop sign and logo. Inside, the theme is carried throughout the 1,800-square-foot shop through the use of wooden shelving and bamboo sheeting on the wall, natural-looking displays and even a handmade tiki hut. The ceiling is also very natural and woodsy. To top it off, customers are greeted by a friendly hello from Rico, the shop’s parrot, who can be found perched behind the sales counter.
The shop opened its doors in 2006 on a particularly interesting time in the floral world – just five short days before Valentine’s. “It was quite something,” says Loewen, who wanted to take part in all the major floral holidays in her opening year. “It was very challenging but it was amazing how busy we were. We sold out of pretty much everything.” Reflecting back, she says the timing was perfect because the florist “started off with a big bang” and that helped spread the word about the new business. Luckily, she was already well-versed in the chaos that can be Valentine’s Day. Loewen spent several years both working and managing at local flower shops in the area prior to opening her own shop. The shop’s motto describes perfectly Loewen’s personal investment in the shop: where flowers bloom from the heart.
It’s all in the details for this florist and every bouquet staff prepares feature a unique touch. The hand-tieds are done-up in a “gifty” fashion with little tags on each bouquet and raffia to give them a more natural feel. Loewen says this appeals to their strong clientele base of people who are fussy about their designs and value the added touches. “We are trying to get people who care about what they buy,” explains Loewen. That’s not to say that the florist doesn’t want to attract customers of all ages and styles, but the designs that can be found at Evangeline’s Flower Hut are not typically the designs that can be picked up at the local grocery store. “The people who shop with me are the people who care, people who appreciate workmanship and quality. We see them as the clientele who will see us through the years,” says Loewen. She says the majority of her customers rely on the shop to whip up a new creation when they come looking for flowers. “We have very few people dictate what they want. With our shop, they don’t bother to tell us, we come up with something instead.”
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| Above: The shop’s friendly parrot, Rico |
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The florist can be found on the World Wide Web as it launched its own website at the beginning of the year that showcases the fresh and exotic look of Evangeline’s Flower Hut. Customers can go online and peruse the design gallery to see examples of their work. The site also offers visitors a chance to get to know the staff at the shop by introducing them to their experience in the floral world and their favourite flowers. Loewen says that so far, feedback has been good and customers have commented that they’ve visited the site and “recognized our style right away.”
As for future plans, Loewen says she hopes to incorporate more home décor designs into the shop. She says she wants to expand the shop’s artificial offerings and create a showroom where the designs can be on display. “I want people to have us in mind when giving a gift for a new home.”
It’s safe to say that the success of Evangeline’s Flower Hut can be directly related to the shop’s clear brand and style. Loewen has worked hard to separate the shop from the all the others and in just two short years, she’s been able to establish a warm and exotic retail experience that offers up nothing but originality.
It’s likely that both new and old customers will continue to flock to this tropical paradise for years to come.
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