Local business and consumer news. Openings, closings, deals, sales, what to buy and where to buy it, we round it all up and give you an insider's shopper's special on small business in Halifax. Contact shoptalk@thecoast.ca to send a tip.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Neighbourhood Shopping Rock Candy’s t-shirt contest
Downtown rock merch boutique offers tweeters a deal
Posted on Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 4:00 AM
It’s called Free Shirt Tuesday at Rock Candy Boutique (5189 Prince Street, 492-3930). Here’s what you do: go to the store's website at rockworldeast.com to find the shirts you love and want, hit the Tweet button (found on every item page), then find another, repeat, et cetera. The contest runs from 12 midnight to 11:59pm AST, every Tuesday. You can enter as many times you’d like and with as many different t-shirts as you’d like. All you need is a Twitter account. And no less than one winner will be selected randomly and announced every Wednesday morning, with each winner winning a shirt they selected and rockworldeast paying shipping and all prize costs.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Openings Argyle Fine Art grand opening tonight
New Barrington Street location happening now
Posted on Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Argyle Fine Art celebrates their new location with the grand opening tonight from 7-9pm. The first show of the season, entitled Pre-Shrunk, features with work of more than 50 local artists. AFA also has a Valentine's Day deal: For only $50, a local artist will create a very special Valentine for you or your significant other.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Neighbourhood Shopping The Everything To Do With Sex Show Comes To Town
SEX SEX SEX!!!
Posted by Carsten Knox on Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Are you horny? Isn't everyone? You might want to head down to The Cunard Centre (961 Marginal Road) for the Everything To Do With Sex Show, kicking off Friday, January 28 at 5pm and running until Sunday. Hours are Friday 5pm-midnight, Saturday 11am-midnight and Sunday 11am-6pm.
You'll find a wide selection of vendors offering everything from sex toys to sex health info to gear. The organizers explain they've "put fun back into sex and romance with a relaxed and non-threatening event that aims to appeal to all sexual orientations, ages and fetishes."
Local sexperts Venus Envy (1598 Barrington Street, 422-0004) will be representing, of course.
"What we do is pick up the store and move it into the Cunard Centre and try to cram it into a 10 by 20 booth," says owner Maggie Haywood. "We'll have lots of show specials, toys on sale and tax free all weekend." Look out for the Hitachi Magic Wand, which Haywood calls "the grandmother of all vibrators."
You can also expect a series of sex seminars on oral sex, erogenous zones and the female orgasm, running all weekend and hosted by the store's sex education specialist Shannon Pringle, all of which are free with admission.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Neighbourhood Shopping Renovator’s Resource moves
New location on Maynard
Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, Jan 25, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Formerly on Almon Street, Renovator’s Resource can now be found just a little further south at 2457 Maynard Street (429-3889). The business remains the source for anyone renovating or looking to add something to a project as the shop is filled with salvaged building parts and furniture, including clawfoot tubs, lighting fixtures, doors, radiators and lots of hardware.
Blue Vine Photography wants you (ladies)!
(Valentine’s Day is coming soon, doncha know)
Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, Jan 25, 2011 at 4:00 AM
January and February are all about Valentine’s Day at Blue Vine (bluevine.ca).
Lady For $250 you get your very own 90 minute “Boudoir Photo Shoot” along with a black or red keepsake album with 24 of your favorite images, which makes a dazzling gift for your nearest and dearest. Or you can pay $325 for the same package that also includes a professional make up application before the shoot.
“It is always a great laugh,” explains photographer Jenine Panagiotakos, “and I promise that you will leave here feeling exhilarated, confident and beautiful, not to mention your Valentine will be very pleasantly surprised!”
Book before February 5 by calling 404-2309 or by email at info@bluevine.ca .
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Openings My Pet Food Network launches
Halifax gets a pet food delivery service
Posted by Carsten Knox on Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 4:00 AM
My Pet Food Network starts in Halifax on February 1. Founded by two St. Mary’s students, Richard Skelhorn and Lu Lin, it’s a pet food retailer that delivers in and around the HRM. They’ve started a website (mypetfoodnetwork.ca) where you can register now and browse products, and from the beginning of February order high quality pet food and products for delivery at no charge. Besides free shipping and an online system they’re also offering a unique points system: “ With every purchase made on the online system, customers get 5 percent of the entire purchase back to them to spend on future purchases,” explains Skelhorn. “Additionally, for every friend you invite [to register], 2.5 percent of their entire purchases also get added directly to you for future purchases, and there is no limit to the number of friends you can have on our site. This means, technically, you could not even spend a dime, but reward yourself with free pet food every month for telling your friends.” The online service is an outgrowth of their retail store, located at 731 Old Sackville Road.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Closings Sock It To Ya closes
Sock hop: the store may reopen nearby
Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 4:00 AM
The sock specialty store Sock It To Ya (5495 Spring Garden Road, 429-7625) has closed up, but Shoptalk’s sources tell us that they’re looking to reopen soon in Spring Garden Place, so keep your toes crossed for that.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Changes at Historic Properties
Three retailers close their doors
Posted by Carsten Knox on Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Things a little quiet these days down at the Historic Properties. Argyle Fine Art has moved up to Barrington Street, Harbour Swan Gift Shop has closed, as has Lady Luck Boutique, which moved much of its stock to its Hydrostone location (5519 Young Street, 444-3050). “The other store did great in the summer but the winters were long,” says a Lady Luck staffer. “But they were able to bring a lot of the furniture from there to here. [The owners] are really excited about the change.”
Handsmiths (492-4438), the artisan and craft boutique, will close January 24 following a decade in business, and is in the midst of a clearance sale. “We had a run,” says owner Bernie Schelew. “We had a lot of fun.” Schelew gives many reasons for the shop closing, including that a drop in sales might have to do with Historic Properties being the last stop on the waterfront, with Pier, 21, 22, Bishop’s Landing and all the other retailers along the boardwalk drawing attention. “There’s a lot more shopping opportunities for tourists.”
He also points to the changes going on in Historic Properties, for example, the shrinking food court and the shuttering of adjacent businesses. But he indicates there has been interest in the Handsmiths assets and name, so it may continue under new management either in its current location or elsewhere, though it’s too early to say for certain. Schelew also has confidence in The Armour Group---the Historic Properties overseers---plans this year to refurbish and reposition the waterfront mall, highlighting its history and hopefully making it more of a tourist destination as a result. “If they follow through then the place will bounce back.”
Friday, January 14, 2011
Openings Mixtape Apparel’s cool
Halifax clothing company repurposes cassette tapes for fashionistas
Posted by Carsten Knox on Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 4:00 AM
click to enlarge
Mixtape Apparel is a new company founded in Halifax by Chris Pike and Jason Duong, a 20-year-old Dalhousie commerce student. Along with offering belts and t-shirts, they repurpose old audio cassettes into belt buckles, saving them from the landfill and allowing for a fashion statement sure to make your skinny-jeaned hipster pals choke with covetous frustration. “My goal is to have eco-friendly, locally made fashionable products that are for the large majority made of upcycled/green materials,” explains Duong. The belt-buckles come in a selection of different colours and plastic shades, including the iconic Maxells. You can find them online at mixtapeapparel.com ($19.95 each) and at 24twentyeight (5181 Sackville Street).
Closings Willow’s Pet Place empty
Best of Halifax-winning pet store closed
Posted by Carsten Knox on Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Much-loved Dresden Row pet supply joint Willow’s Pet Place (1526 Dresden Row) has closed down. There’s no indication whether the business will reopen in another location, and owner Kyra Foster has not responded to messages.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Closings Shirt Shack to close
After 35 years you’ll now have to get your t-shirts elsewhere
Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 4:00 AM
The long-running t-shirt retail and printing shop in Scotia Square, The Shirt Shack (423-8759) will close on January 29 after 35 years in the business. Owner Steven Rappaport will be holding down the fort until then with sales to clear out the remaining merchandise.
Fashion Halifax boot sale
Fashionably Dead offers big discounts on footwear
Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Going on right now at Fashionably Dead (5239 Blowers Street, 406-7050) is an inventory clear-out sale on footwear, where you’ll find all shoes and boots at 50 percent off the stickered price until the stock is gone. “Everything from high tops to these boots,” explains owner Kate Rankin. This impressive and slightly intimidating footwear, which Rankin calls “Torment (aka Kiss) Boots” are from Pleaser USA's Demonia line, a California company that makes a variety of alternative styles.
click to enlarge
It's the only shoe company featured at Fashionably Dead. "We'll also be continuing to carry lots of styles from Demonia in the future focusing more on the really daring and out there styles in coming months," says Rankin. "I should also mention that we do offer custom orders on any of the styles available at demoniausa.com to customers." If you’re into these boots, they’re getable for $74.99, half the usual 150 smackers.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bicycle factory coming to Halifax
Halifax Bicycle Company will produce "city bikes" popular with locals.
Posted by Tim Bousquet on Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 12:30 PM
Bicycles will soon be manufactured in Halifax. Entrepreneur John Wesley Chisholm and partner Roger Nelson, who have been operating Halifax Cycle Gallery (6299 Quinpool Road, 407-4222) for about a year, are about to embark on their next enterprise, Halifax Bicycle Company. The pair plan to get the new factory up and running this summer, produce a few models for trade shows in the fall, and then be fully operational in 2012, making 1,000 bikes a year.
“I noticed that the whole rest of the world drives a different kind of bicycle than we do in Canada,” explains Chisholm. In his travels, he says, “I see people driving bikes for transportation. The key difference is, they’re not sport bikes---you sit upright on the bicycle, meaning your weight’s not on the handlebars. It’s a city bike. And I thought, ‘this is the greatest idea in the world,’ because Canada drives bikes for sport, not for transport.”
Chisholm invited me over to the Cycle Gallery Friday; he's pictured below with the prototype of what he dubs as the "Halifax city bike":
“I noticed that the whole rest of the world drives a different kind of bicycle than we do in Canada,” explains Chisholm. In his travels, he says, “I see people driving bikes for transportation. The key difference is, they’re not sport bikes---you sit upright on the bicycle, meaning your weight’s not on the handlebars. It’s a city bike. And I thought, ‘this is the greatest idea in the world,’ because Canada drives bikes for sport, not for transport.”
Friday, January 7, 2011
Neighbourhood Shopping Sailor Jerry turns 100
Utility Gallery to celebrate with tattoo sale on Friday, January 14
Posted by Carsten Knox on Fri, Jan 7, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Legendary tattoo artist Norman Keith Collins, otherwise known as Sailor Jerry, was born in Reno, Nevada on January 14, 1911. Though he went to the great tattoo parlour in the sky in 1973, Utility Gallery (6070 Quinpool Road, 420-1348) is recognizing Collins’ centenary and influential work with a special day of discounts on tattoos based on designs “by the master himself.” You’ll find a selection of Sailor Jerry ink to choose from with appointments on a first come, first serve basis. The studio hours for the day will be noon to 8pm. And for those not ink-inclined, maybe have a sip of Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum to celebrate.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Neighbourhood Shopping Boutique Joliette sale
Boxing Day continues right into January
Posted by Carsten Knox on Mon, Jan 3, 2011 at 4:00 AM
The stylish shop full of Canadian designer fashions and jewellery down on Hollis near Duke, Boutique Joliette (1870 Hollis Street, 405-4057) has a sale going on until January 8. Stop by any time through Saturday and you’ll find 25 percent off all winter accessories and knit wear.
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