With its sleek decor and its offering of urban-friendly kitchen gadgets, Clay has been attracting customers since it opened in early December in midtown Toronto.
“I love being in the kitchen and I always wanted to open a store that sold kitchen gadgets and things for the cook,” said Carlos Flores, one of the store’s owners.
The family-operated business is the second for Flores and his partners. Just a few doors down on a busy stretch of St. Clair Avenue West, they operate Cocoalatte, a pretty coffee shop that serves up soups and sandwiches for lunch.
Despite opening two new businesses within the last 15 months, Flores didn’t spare any expense; from the decor and quality of products to the customer service, both shops offer clients all the conveniences of their larger counterparts.
“In order to compete with trends and bigger businesses, it was important for us to offer these right from the start,” Flores said.
In spite of added start-up costs, Flores and his partners made the decision to offer re-loadable coffee cards at Cocoalatte - just like the big guys down the street - and professional gift cards complete with logo and paper holders at Clay.
“Often customers come in and are not sure what to buy as a gift,” he said. “We tell them we sell gift cards and they love that. It’s especially essential in a kitchen store.”
Gift cards have long been the domain of big retailers and have been increasing in popularity for many years among the gift-buying public.
A study by Statistics Canada showed that in 2005, 82 per cent of large retailers were already offering gift cards, an increase of 29 per cent from two years before.
Today, gift cards can be purchased in gas stations and drug stores, as well as online, even sent to recipients through email.
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