She took a well-established, local clothing boutique and put her own stamp on it, re-branding and giving it a "new spin". And she's pretty pleased with the way it's going.
She is Christine Keck - owner/operator of Moose Jaw's Cranberry Collective Boutique.
If you go to CranberryCollective.ca you'll find the story.
"Cranberry Collective is a locally owned fashion boutique located in the charming and historic downtown of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. We carry a carefully curated selection of women's apparel and local artisan goodies.
We pride ourselves on offering clothing that will last from quality labels, with an emphasis on Canadian brands.
Previously, Cranberry Rose, the boutique has been providing sophisticated styles to Moose Jaw since 1996. We re-branded to Cranberry Collective in September of 2019!"
Originally from Lloydminster, Keck and her husband spent over a decade in Calgary before moving back to Saskatchewan to pursue her dream of owning a boutique. The dream came true about two years ago.
"That's right, two years as of May 1st", Keck said with pride.
And talk about timing. After getting all set up to thrive, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in late winter of 2020 and changed the way we do business. However, Keck says it was a challenge she had to accept.
"Oh, my goodness, I think we've learned more in this last year than I probably would have in the next five years combined had this not happened. It has just been a whirlwind. Luckily, we had launched our online store in January of 2020 so just in time before we got shut down. We were able to pick things up that way a little bit", Keck said.
And how is the online store doing? 
"Well, it goes in waves. When the store has less traffic...we see our online store pick up. So, it seems like customers are using it as an alternative to coming into the store," Keck said.
And to be clear, Cranberry Collective is open for in-person shopping at 316 Main Street North in downtown Moose Jaw. You'll find women's clothing, a home and gift department, kid's clothing and there is also a consignment service which is something Keck says is gaining momentum.
"Yes, super excited about that! That part of the business we just launched in December... We're really trying to put an emphasis on eco brands and sustainable fabrics and stuff like that and the consignment part ties in with that because it gives a way for these clothes that may have expired themselves in our own closets to find a second home. We're really excited that the consignment is getting moving now," Keck said.
"So, at the moment, you can bring your gently-used quality clothes to Cranberry Collective during regular business hours. We accept every day that we're open except for Saturdays. You just leave them with us, and we sort through them and then the consigner has the option of deciding if anything we don't take from the initial sort is either returned to them or donated," Keck explained.
"Our consignment service is moving to a new home as of June 1st so we're hoping that new location will help as well with some awareness in the community, but it has been good, and we've had a great initial response, so it'll be good to grow it some more," Keck said.
The new location for Cranberry Consignment will be on High Street.
We asked Keck about the move from Calgary to Moose Jaw.
"You know, it has been good. It was kind of a weird time to move to a new city. We were just starting to meet people and then everyone was being told to stay home," Keck laughed.
"It's been awesome. Moose Jaw is really a great community. Actually, during the shutdown we really saw people come together and support each other so, no regrets, that's for sure," Keck said.
Whether you shop in-person or online, you'll find price points for all budgets.
"You know, we do have a higher-end customer, but we really want to keep it reasonable. We want lots of people to be able to shop and we try to keep those price points at a place where lots of people feel comfortable coming into the store," Keck said.
Keck says her passion for the clothing industry goes back many years when she worked at a boutique in Lloydminster when she was still in high school.
"I think that inspired me to want to do something in fashion myself. I went to university and majored in entrepreneurship so that I could have a business background...after a few years working corporate jobs in Calgary I decided I really wanted to pu
Keck wants the community to know her shop is a great place to shop for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions.
"We have a home decor section and lots of gifts and jewelry and we try to source things locally - within the prairie provinces - that's where we try to source our gifts and jewelry from."
Along with advertising on DiscoverMooseJaw.com and on local radio stations, Keck has also been busy promoting her store on social media and having fun with it.
"You know, again, this crazy COVID world really pushed us out of our comfort zone, but social media has been so awesome - being able to connect with customers that way and we've started doing videos. We try to post daily with some outfit ideas, sort of showing people what we have available and just having fun with it."
Cranberry Collective Boutique - 316 Main Street North, Moose Jaw. 306 693 7779. You can shop in-person and online at CranberryCollective.ca
Christine Keck is looking forward to meeting you!
Sat, Apr 20, 12:00 PM
Hourly, Part-time, Permanent, Education
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