Footwear retailer Poppy Barley opens its first full-time store
Popular Edmonton custom footwear company Poppy Barley walks into the world of bricks-and-mortar retailing Thursday when it unveils its first stand-alone store at Southgate Centre.
Poppy Barley started as an online-only operation in 2012 at Startup Edmonton by sisters Kendall Barber and Justine Barber, but they soon realized a physical presence was needed, Kendall Barber said Wednesday.
“Very early on, people showed they wanted the option to shop in person. They would show up at Startup Edmonton and … we would awkwardly pull out shoes to show them.”
They ran numerous pop-up stores, first in Edmonton and then across Canada, and opened a showroom-office on Whyte Avenue in 2015, all of which showed what was required for a successful full-time outlet, Barber said.
For example, they boosted inventory after discovering that while people with hard-to-fit feet will wait weeks for custom-made boots, people who can buy off the rack want something they can take home right away.
Customers were also curious about employees, working conditions and environmental rules at the four Mexican factories they contract to manufacture their footwear, purses, wallets and other leather products, so the shop walls display photos and sustainability information.
“We wanted to take in more of the storytelling behind the brand, because they were the questions we were being asked in the store room.”
Poppy Barley has grown to 30 staff from two and doubled sales every year, although Barber won’t release financial details.
More than half of sales occur on the internet. Barber said the focus is on selling through popups, mobile and stores — customers usually first buy in person so they can see what they’re getting, then make future purchases online.
If everything goes well, shops in Calgary and Vancouver will be next, despite the often-declared death of traditional shopping.
“I think bad retail is dying. I think there’s a place for really great retail.”