GOLD WINNER
Sweet Pea Boutique1542 Queen Street, Halifax
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SILVER WINNER
Biscuit General Store2050 Gottingen Street
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BRONZE WINNER
The Loot Vintage1711 Barrington Street
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If you feel like you’ve wandered into your best friend’s closet when you enter Sweet Pea Boutique, then Johanna Galipeau’s job is done. The founder and owner of the Queen Street clothing shop thrives on a “non-pressure” environment, where she’s just as excited to chat with regular customers as she is “if you came back 10 times and didn't buy anything.” A fixture in Halifax’s fashion scene for 15 years and counting, Sweet Pea Boutique sources its threads from “all over”—whether it’s Montreal, London, Australia or Denmark—and focuses on limited-run items. “I’m putting new stuff out every few days,” Galipeau says, speaking by phone with The Coast. For the former Saint Mary’s University dropout who opened up her business at 19, things have turned out well for Galipeau. Last year, she bought her building. This year marks Sweet Pea’s fourth gold Best of Halifax award in a row. “There are such great stores, and I’m always shocked when I get [the recognition],” she says. “It’s such an honour.”
