We sat down with Jolene, the owner of Garden City Essentials, to learn more about the person behind the shop and how it all began. Before starting Garden City Essentials, Jolene was in a completely different career. When she first began making her products, she set up at the St. Catharines farmers market and participated in craft shows around the area. Through those experiences, she made great connections and built relationships with customers.
Eventually, she found a space around the corner from the Market. Being close to the farmers market and the connections she had built felt like a good opportunity, and she considers herself very lucky. She loved the idea of being downtown and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
For Jolene, downtown has character, personality, and community – something you just can’t get at a big store or in a plaza parking lot. She loves the feeling of people walking by and the energy of the area.
Garden City Essentials opened in 2017 and has now been open for eight years. Jolene feels fortunate that the business was established before the pandemic. Having an online store helped keep things going, along with doing whatever they could to adapt. What you find in-store is also available online, with shipping available across Canada and free local delivery.
Every Tuesday, the shop offers 15% off bulk products when customers bring their own containers. The store is open five days a week.
Jolene shares that they can’t compete with big business, because they aren’t a big business. They’re a small business that does their own thing. She feels very lucky to have amazing customers, and says that word of mouth has been a big part of their marketing success. As a very small team, it can be hard to do everything, including social media.
The business began because Jolene started making her own products, skincare, soaps, and aromatic products. In addition to her own creations, she curates products from other small businesses, mostly Canadian. The focus is natural products that make you feel good – items for self-care and gifting.
People come in for gifts, sustainable bulk refills, and different things for different needs. Some customers are especially interested in package-free options. The shop carries soaps, candles, incense, cards, giftable items, personal care products and so much more. Some products are only available in bulk, and customers can even purchase a mason jar in-store for bulk refills.
Location: 35 James Street. Store Hours: Tuesday to Friday: 11am to 5pm and Saturday: 10 am to 4pm. To learn more, place an order online, arrange curbside pickup or delivery, visit gardencityessentials.ca