During the holiday season, the retail shops within our local neighbourhoods transform into a winter wonderland, offering a truly enchanting experience as we eagerly check off the items on our holiday shopping list.
Port Moody’s Newport Village is the perfect place to discover and indulge in all this winter magic and more. Boasting a number of independently owned stores, the shopping destination enables shoppers to connect with store owners and immerse themselves in personalized service from passionate merchants who cater to each customer’s shopping wish lists and culinary cravings.
By making the choice to shop local this holiday, you can actively contribute to supporting local family-owned businesses. Most notably, Newport Village features a selection of female-owned shops that offer a variety of special gift ideas for everyone on your list.
1. Unmediocre General Store
Far from mediocre, Unmediocre General Store is a delightful gift shop, a premium tea shop, a specialty stationery supplier, and an eco-friendly refillery, all under one roof.
Founded by Julie Veres in 2012, the brick-and-mortar general store serves the Port Moody community with everyday lifestyle essentials and meaningful gift ideas, with many items sourced from local artisans and businesses. Their un-cookie cutter collection of goods includes a variety of teas, cards, accessories, home goods, and personal care goods, and all of their products are handpicked with care and kindness for their qualities that go beyond the ordinary.
Among the best-selling gift products at Unmediocre General Store include their very popular Eucalyptus Shower Steamers, these essential oil pods provide deep support of respiratory health. Their loose-leaf tea collection, which ranges from varieties such as the organic classic Earl Grey tea to soothing Turmeric & Ginger. Blume’s vegan Superfood Blends add a healthy and flavourful kick to lattes, smoothies, baked goods, oatmeals, and more. Create an organic self-care gift basket with the moisturizing and gentle face and body products from Carina Organics, which come in scents like citrus, sweet pea, and unscented. All-natural soy candles from Brand & Iron also make for relaxing presents to give, with fragrance combinations such as Tobacco + Vanilla, Sandalwood + Lavender, and Yuzu + Birch.
Make sure to visit Unmediocre General Store this season to experience their wide selection of gifts and friendly and helpful service. For more information, visit www.unmediocre.com.
2. Olive the Best
Like meat and cheese and holly and ivy, olive oil and vinegar is a classic pairing that is essential to holiday traditions.
Daniela Hammond opened Olive the Best in March of 2019. Since then, her store has been recognized as Canada’s online source for fresh, high quality extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) and traditional balsamic vinegars (which are aged up to 25 years). Olive the Best’s storefront in Newport Village carries approximately 80 different oils and vinegars, including the ultra premium olive oil products they’re known for. And since their oils and vinegars are bottled on demand by order, their products are among the freshest you can find on the market.
Olive the Best also has a wide variety of gourmet foods, cookware and tableware, personal care products, and gift bundles in stock for your holiday shopping needs this season. Gift baskets purchased for delivery in the Metro Vancouver area can be brought directly to the recipient's door, and free shipping is available across Canada with a $75 purchase (with the exception of the Territories). Plus, every gift purchased before Christmas will include a $10 gift card for Olive the Best for the gift recipient, valid for 3 months (some restrictions apply).
For more information, visit www.olivethebest.ca, and browse through their curated gift guide here.
3. The Village Toy Shop
Teresa Johansson believes in the importance of play and providing high-quality toys to expand their imagination. And for over 20 years, she has been introducing families to fun and creative play experiences through her delightful children’s toy boutique, The Village Toy Shop.
You can count on The Village Toy Shop to help you find the perfect holiday gift for your little one. From LEGO and Playmobil, family board games and puzzles, to the latest fidget gadgets, crafts, science and open-ended toys, the shop has something for kids of all ages. At Christmastime the charming toy store is bursting with advent calendars, seasonal goodies, adorable Jellycat stuffies, and family jigsaw puzzles to connect over.
The Village Toy Shop’s friendly and knowledgeable staff are always on hand to offer helpful advice and recommendations, and they truly care about finding the perfect toy for every occasion. For more information, visit www.villagetoyshop.ca.
4. Bralissimo
Discover Bralissimo, your destination for lingerie pieces that celebrate the diversity of the women who wear it. This upscale boutique boasts an extensive range of premium bras, lingerie, sleepwear, and loungewear, catering to all sizes, including plus sizes. For a truly personalized shopping experience, Bralissimo offers in-store bra fittings and keeps profiles for regular customers, so they can come back and shop for their specific sizes and preferences. In addition, Bralissimo offers mastectomy bras to allow women to feel feminine despite everything happening.
Bralissimo proudly features renowned European brands from countries like France, Germany, and Belgium, along with the best Canadian and American labels. This international mindset is a key focus for founder Natalia Kashpur, who has a passion for sourcing the world's finest lingerie lines. From owning lingerie boutiques in Ukraine for two decades to establishing her Canadian online store in 2018 and opening the physical Bralissimo store in Newport Village in June 2022— her dedication to curating the world's finest products is evident in her remarkable journey.
Some popular bra and lingerie brands carried at Bralissimo include PrimaDonna, Chantelle, Fleur’t, Empreinte, Simone Perele, and Lise Charmel. Lise Charmel's Source Beaute line, adorned with exquisite embroideries, tulle, and jewelled accents, is made for brides or anyone looking for refined femininity in their lingerie drawer. Also perfect for gifting, Fleur't's eco-friendly nightwear collection blends luxury and comfort together for nightgowns, chemises, robes, and more that can be worn from morning to evening.
Make Bralissimo your regular shopping spot for bras, lingerie, sleepwear, and swimwear. For more information, visit www.bralissimo.com.
5. Unmediocre Kitchen Store
Located a few steps away from Unmediocre General Store, Unmediocre Kitchen Store, which Julie Veres opened in 2021, houses a charming collection of quality culinary essentials.
Shoppers can explore a treasure trove of kitchen tools, cookware, bakeware, glassware, barware, tabletop, pantry items, and gourmet foods to elevate the at-home culinary experience. Each item is thoughtfully selected and curated to marry functionality with style, promising to enhance your kitchen into a haven of delectable creations.
From cast iron cookware to well designed bakeware, Unmediocre Kitchen Store’s diverse selection caters to both the seasoned chefs and the home cooks on your holiday list. Some of the top-selling gift products at Unmediocre Kitchen Store are the Swedish cotton and plant-based reusable cloths from Danica, which make cleaning up on all surfaces a breeze. These compostable cloths come in a variety of different designs to add some colour and personality into your home. The "Sublime" Dutch Oven from Emile Henry is a versatile take on the cast iron and enamel Dutch oven, offering the ability to brown, deglaze, sear, fry, saute, simmer, bake bread, and slow cook all in one pot. Made of a tropical wood with a high oil content that acts as a water repellant, Teak's sleek wooden carving boards provide a luxurious and stable cutting experience that's also easy to clean up after. Elevate your holiday cocktails with cocktail mixers from Yes Cocktail Co., which include seasonal syrups such as Candy Cane, Sugar Plum, and Gingerbread to get your party in the festive mood.
For more information and to discover the full range of gift ideas to choose from at Unmediocre Kitchen Store, visit www.unmediocre.com.
