Abundance has been a staple in the Kenora community for over 15 years. When the owners of the gift store decided to sell the business, Nicole Pell and Aly Charles sprung into action. “We didn’t want to see another store close,” she recalls. “We live here. We shop here. We want to have things that attract people [to Kenora.]” On a whim, Pell and Charles decided to purchase the business and dove head first into entrepreneurship for the first time.
Like so many novice entrepreneurs, Pell and Charles soon discovered that they would need to wear multiple hats to successfully revitalize Abundance into Abundance Home and ensure its success in today’s retail market. They began making changes to the interior design of the store to freshen up the look and feel, and made a major decision to shift the overall focus of the business. “We tried to bring in a lot more local products. That was important to us and I think there’s a big push for local and Canadian-made products post-COVID,” explains Pell.
With a fresh approach and new products, the company’s biggest challenge was getting the word out to both the local community and tourists about the changes. From inventory to invoicing to order fulfillment, Pell, who also works a full-time job outside of Abundance Home, had a very full plate and minimal experience with marketing. On the hunt for support, Pell was introduced to Digital Main Street’s Digital Transformation Grant (DTG) program through Allyson Pele, Manager of the Northwest Business Centre. The program provides small businesses with a digital assessment, online training, and a $2,500 grant to implement their Digital Transformation Plan (DTP). “[The process] wasn’t scary or overwhelming,” remarks Pell who worked through her application with the support of the local Kenora Digital Service Squad member.
Pell used her grant funds to execute her DTP, which focused primarily on implementing a new social media strategy that would attract a younger audience to both Abundance Home’s brick-and-mortar location and their online store. With this goal in mind, Pell hired a social media expert to shift their postings from Facebook to Instagram, and to start using platform features such as reels, stories, targeted promotions, and product tags, to improve the reach and promote the updated look and feel of the store and the locally sourced product lines.
Abundance Home’s new social strategy has paid off. “We’ve had a lot of compliments. A lot of people comment that they liked the changes and we’ve actually brought in quite a different clientele,” shares Pell. “I think the changes in the store […] and the brand tailored to that younger demographic has [gotten] more people in there shopping and spending money and […] keeping our business afloat.” Pell notes her followers are steadily increasing on Instagram and has observed a clear correlation between social media posts and product sales, supporting the effectiveness of their revamped approach.
With clear evidence that social media can be a powerful marketing and sales tool for her business, Pell is looking to expand her efforts on Instagram. She plans to increase marketing and revamp the current website to elevate the brand’s social media presence and drive more online sales. Pell reflects that her experience with the grant has opened her eyes to what is possible for her business. Equipped with knowledge and a newfound sense of confidence, she is looking forward to the future, knowing that her initial desire to keep a local business afloat has evolved into a vision for growth and sustainability.
