By Norman Moyer
Flower to the People is still settling into its new address at 21 Murray Street. Caity Marsh and Krista Sharpe moved their business from Dalhousie Street about a year ago and we are glad that they chose to stay in Lowertown. We need all the flowers we can get! I met with Caity this week to find out how it is going and to ask how their store could help us meet our Mother’s Day plans.
Their business was launched on Dalhousie in 2018 under the lovely name of The Stalk Market. Through a trademark dispute they had to abandon that name and they soon settled on Flower to the People which was already their motto. They obviously have a creative way with words and that talent carries over into their flower arrangements which Caity describes as the funkiest in town. Their logo is a delightful contrast of a delicate bouquet of local flowers clutched by a powerful fist.
Cut flowers and plants are their main products. Check them out on their website www.flowertothepeople.store or on social media @flowertothepeople613. They will arrange and deliver as you wish. They now use UberEATS as a marketing channel so you can order flowers directly through that website or, if you order a meal, say on Mother’s Day, you will get a prompt to ask if you would also like flowers.
They offer more than flowers and plants. Every month they teach lessons about flowers and plants in a social setting with wine, food, and conversation. They try to tailor these lessons to the season. So, in the run up to Christmas they share how to make wreaths and displays, and for Valentine’s Day, it is the story of the rose.
Like every small business downtown, COVID and the “freedom” convoy hit their business hard. COVID reduced international supplies of flowers and took away many walk-in customers. The convoy shut Flower to the People down for Valentine’s Day, one of the biggest flower days of the year. As this was happening, they had to search for a new space in which to operate. On top of that, the perception of Lowertown as a dangerous place isn’t helping.
So, I ask Caity why do they do it, if it is so hard. “It’s the passion” she said. “Passion for the product. We love flowers and plants. Passion for the people, we get a real kick out of meeting the customers and organising the learning events. Passion for running a small business, meeting the challenges, and grasping the opportunities, and a passion for this neighbourhood, which is still a great place to do business.”
