Karen Graham
When Nicole Scott came into Bridget Anastasia’s with her mother in mid-October, owner Catherine Moore was in the back room sorting through the newly arrived Christmas merchandise, planning her seasonal displays. Two weeks later, she was retired and the displays and all her other responsibilities had been handed over to two sisters who grew up down the street from her store and whom she has known since she babysat them as toddlers.
New Store Owners Lunn Sisters Nicole and Amy with retiring founder of Bridget Anastasia, Catherine Moore. The name and ownership of the store is changing, but the vision is the same. Photo: Karen Graham.
The speed of this transaction was a bit shocking to all parties. Nicole and Amy had always dreamed of having their own gift and décor store, and when Nicole had come in a few weeks earlier, they was at the exploratory stage of their business venture. But as she began to talk to her good friend Catherine, Nicole explained that what they were looking for was a store “just like this one”. Then the obvious question came- was Catherine thinking of retiring? Would she consider selling? At the time she wasn’t but the offer became compelling. After six years of running this successful business, Bridget Anastasia had established a loyal clientele who came from Cobourg, Port Hope, Toronto and beyond because of its original and eclectic mix of products. The business had firm relationships with reliable suppliers, and things were running smoothly. The only hiccup was the schedule. Open five days a week, the only way Catherine could get away for a vacation was to shut the doors for a few days. She was ready for a break, but was not expecting it to arrive so quickly and permanently, but it made sense to hand over the business at the start of the biggest season of the year.
As for Nicole and Amy, they are very excited to get going, and have they ever done that! The deal was closed in less than 2 weeks, and when the new owners opened their doors on November 1st, the only missing item was their new Card processing unit, which arrived the next day. They have also ordered new signage to reflect the name and ownership change. They are very happy to have a turn-key operation with merchandise, supplier and customer relationships already well-established and an experienced, committed consultant living next door.
The store will not change much in its approach or its style. Both sisters admire the store’s current inventory, but will bring their own design sensitivity to their product lines, with Nicole tending to a classic style and Amy leaning more eclectic in her tastes. The only significant change customers will see immediately is the store hours: with two partners available, the store will now be open seven days a week. The Grand opening is scheduled for November 21st, but the doors are open now and there is a palpable excitement of a dream launched. The store is located at 1573 Moore Drive 2 km west of County Rd 28.