Old Strathcona Antique Mall
Old Strathcona Antique Mall has won a trio of awards in the Edmonton Journal Readers’ Choice Awards this year.
The popular antique store — which also offers an ice cream and coffee shop — has won Gold in the antique store category and Gold in the comic/collectibles shop category.
And it is a runner-up winner in the ice cream shop category, too.
“We are humbled by the awards, and thankful to those that chose us as their favourite antique store as well as their favourite collectibles store,” says coowner Betty Reitan.
“To us, it’s a barometer to tell us that we are on the right track.”
Reitan and her daughter, Bobbi Weibel, were vendors in a couple of local antique malls when the opportunity to buy the Old Strathcona Antique Mall came up eight years ago.
They knew that to be successful, they needed to attract the next generation of shoppers, so they installed an ice cream and coffee shop, offering pie and baked goods. They created an Etsy account and they signed up for Facebook and Instagram, too.
And they pay close attention to what their customers want. These days, Reitan is seeing a shift toward functional vintage items, things that can be used, not just admired. “People want to mix a beautiful old antique table with their modern decor,” she says. “Or they want to repurpose an old wood frame window into a picture frame, or turn an old warehouse cart into a unique coffee table.”
Reitan enjoys finding those things, and then pairing the right item with the right person. “Folks bring their friends and family here, to spend a few hours taking a trip down memory lane,” she says.
“We are more than an antique store. We are a destination.”