It’s cute, it’s fun, and it has neon cloud lights adorning one wall — it’s the perfect place for a social-media-worthy snap, and that’s exactly what creators of Regina’s newest gourmet candy boutique are hoping for at The Shoppe.
“That’s a huge part of our store, is being ‘Instagrammable’ and having cute products and really delicious things in store to have some sweet options,” said project director Yessenia Preza.
“Our goal is for anybody to be able to take a picture in every single corner, every wall, and for it to be Instagram quality.”
The Shoppe is the most recent inhabitant of downtown Regina, opening on June 19 to an excited following who were clamouring for the sweet storefront to hit the Queen City.
Located on Scarth Street, home to the Regina Farmers Market, Preza said the store’s cute pink patio set and a pleasing storefront window fits right into the downtown vibe.
“I feel like we really pop out on that street, and we kind of blend into everything else that’s there,” said Preza.
The gourmet candy boutique is the second location in Saskatchewan, a quick expansion of The Shoppe’s huge success in Saskatoon earlier this spring.
Preza and owner Ben Quattrini taste-tested the idea of gourmet candy in aesthetically pastel packaging first with a pop-up boutique and then a permanent storefront in Saskatoon on May 27.
The response to both locations was instant, and Preza said the decision to branch out to a new city has been nothing but positive.
“We’re definitely happy with the response we’ve gotten from both cities, and we definitely made the right pick to go to Regina,” said Preza.
Preza and Quattrini were inspired to pursue the idea because they saw a need in Saskatchewan for gourmet candy options, in a space primed for photo opportunities.
The Shoppe carries a range of products, including imported candies and chocolates, edible cookie dough, flash-frozen ice cream bites called Dippin’ Dots and a selection of Latin American gelato popsicles called paletta, which have proven extremely popular.
“I feel like it's something new that nobody has really had here, like cookie dough and candy have always been a thing, but these are different,” said Preza.
There’s something for everyone on the shelves, said Preza, and not just those searching for the perfect colourful photo for their social media feed. Some products, like grape laces, have customers coming in exclusively because they can’t find those favourites anywhere else.
“Teenagers obviously love our store but I feel like there’s also nostalgia for the adults,” said Preza. “They remember Dippin’ Dots and stuff like that, and they come in and comment on it.”
And although the bare bones of the store is about candy, social media does play a huge part in The Shoppe’s business model, both as a unique calling card for the store and as the cornerstone of it's marketing campaign.
Preza’s background in social media marketing, content creation and interior design really helped her and Quattrini develop the idea of an aesthetically focused candy store.
“Marketing, nowadays, is pretty much just social media [and] it's everything for business,” said Preza. “It's probably one of the easiest and best ways of marketing.”
What they hope The Shoppe brings to patrons in both Saskatoon and Regina is simple: tasty treats and a unique experience at a store unlike any other, that they can share with followers.
“We tried to create a different experience,” said Preza. “We want people to come in, take pictures, bring back a feeling of something exciting, like in those movies as a kid where it feels like magic.”
