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Top Shops: Rustic Flair
Willow Haven Delivers a European Experience |
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Written by Amanda Ryder
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Located in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Willow Haven Flower Shop is a place where rustic meets modern – the shop blends in with its mountainous surroundings but the European touches are evident in the designs and the décor.
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Willow Haven Flower Shop is located in the mountainous community of Canmore, Alta., where residents have embraced the shop as a destination for design. Leo Nugteren is the owner and draws on his European background to create the shop’s unique style.
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The flower shop is located in Canmore, Alta., just a 20-minute drive
from Banff, Alta., the province’s big tourist destination and resort
town. Leo Nugteren is the owner of the shop, and his European training
and Dutch background has a strong influence on the store’s appearance
and design style.
When Nugteren opened his shop nine years ago, the 790-square-foot shop took up one section of a strip mall. Over the years, the florist has expanded, overtaking a neighbouring retail space when it went out of business, and now measures roughly 1,800 square feet. Floral designs and vases blend seamlessly with gift and home décor items and there’s lots of product to choose from. The florist says his roots have a big influence on the atmosphere and look of the retail space: “A lot of time when Dutch people come in, they say, oh, it’s like we’re back home.”
Hand-tied designs are a signature style for the shop and customers can expect to see a lot of foliage. “I hate using single flowers like one lily, one mum. I always like to use twos or threes,” he says. As a result, Nugteren feels that this separates his designs from the mixed bouquets commonly found at other floral outlets. He describes his arrangements as high-style, funkier designs that offer up something unique. The florist typically avoids carnations and baby’s breath (unless requested by the customer) and imports 95 per cent of its flowers from Holland. Nugteren says he finds that Dutch farms offer more variety and a larger stem with more blooms, although he also sources local growers.
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At a Glance
Company name:
Willow Haven Flower Shop
Location: Canmore, Alta.
Owner: Leo Nugteren
Years in business: 9.5
Website:
www.willowhaven.ca
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To complement the fresh floral selection, the store also carries products like candles and candleholders, lamps, fashion jewelry, scarves, evening purses, stylish containers and home décor accessories. Nugteren’s goal with these lines is to offer shoppers something trendy and fashionable. “I don’t want to have what everybody else sells so I try to look for that,” he says.
Weddings are big business for Willow Haven, and Nugteren estimates that this makes up 70 per cent of his overall sales. Many couples flock to nearby Banff for their nuptials and Nugteren is on hand to serve their floral needs thanks to the florist’s connections with hotels and other wedding vendors. It doesn’t hurt that in Internet searches for “Banff florist,” his shop comes up first. On average, the shop does 175 weddings a year, and in the summer it’s not uncommon for the shop to be booked for eight or nine on just one weekend. The all-time record for most nuptials on one weekend stands at 16.
So how does he and his four staff members do it? “Just be organized,” says Nugteren. “We do it all ourselves. How it works here, we can have a wedding on any day. It could be on a Monday or a Tuesday because we have a lot of elopements.” In the past few years, the florist has noticed a lot more Brits are running away to the Canmore and Banff area for their nuptials. He also does flowers for a lot of heli-weddings in which the helicopter takes the bride and groom to a mountain top or secluded location to say their vows. Weddings happen year round as couples also come to take advantage of the picturesque winter landscape.
One of Nugteren’s biggest challenges in his shop was actually a wedding he did for 850 guests. The event required a three-day setup of the room and, although the bride had a wedding planner to help with the décor, the florist was in charge of centrepieces for 58 tables in addition to the wedding flowers. To handle this demand, Nugteren says they shut down the shop for a few days. “There were flowers everywhere throughout the whole shop because you just can’t fit it all in the fridge.”
In terms of everyday orders, Willow Haven does see a fair number of walk-in sales because the shop is in a strip mall on the main street in Canmore. All year round Nugteren showcases product on sidewalk benches and displays outside his shop. “It’s already an open door. If there’s product outside then it’s easier to bring them in. It’s typically European because they always have stuff outside in Holland.” Inside the shop, the vignettes and merchandise displays are changed often. Furniture is moved around three or four times throughout the year and the walls are painted to give the shop a continuously fresh appearance.
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The florist imports 95 per cent of its flowers from Holland and Nugteren describes his design look as high style and funky.
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Canmore residents view Willow Haven Flower Shop as a community staple, and the business is recognized as a regular participant in the town’s annual Canada Day parade. People look forward to the event each year and eagerly await the florist’s float. “We decorate a couple of delivery cars and trucks with themes and then we hand out flowers,” he says. “Last year, I think we handed out 2,500 roses and we had an Edward Scissorhands theme.” Nugteren donned a costume and his team sculpted a six-foot dinosaur, as well as a ballerina and a dog out of moss. “The people are already excited to see what we’re going to do this year.”
Nugteren’s Dutch background has helped the shop set itself apart from others. He trained in Holland for two years and apprenticed on the side as well, working with a former teacher who passed on his skills and advice. The florist brought this training to his shop in Canada and has employed tactics to encourage shoppers to buy flowers more frequently, as is done in Europe. One such promotion is the shop’s bouquet card, which promises that if a customer buys 10 bouquets they’ll get their 11th bouquet free.
With just shy of 10 years under its belt, Nugteren has worked to establish Willow Haven Flower Shop as a destination for modern, European-inspired floral design and adapted the shop’s style to fit with its rustic surroundings. Under the direction of its talented and focused owner, it’s clear the shop has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
Tips to Take Away:
- Use your website to showcase your own unique designs. Brides can check out Willow Haven Flower Shop’s website to see extensive galleries of the shop’s past wedding work.
- Draw in passersby with pretty product. Nugteren makes sure there are always fresh flowers and product on the sidewalk in front of the shop. This European approach is an invitation to come in and check out the florist to see what else is on offer.
- Play a role in your community. Willow Haven takes part in Canmore’s annual Canada Day Parade, and now residents look forward to seeing what the shop’s float will look like.
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