For about a year, Jessica Chan played the lead role in building the interior of her new store, Pop-Local, in the RiverWest building at Waterfront Vancouver. At a time of high construction costs, she built much of the store, including the 50 wooden shelves that she cut, sanded and stained.
“I’ve never done so much sanding in my life,” she said Monday as she browsed the new store’s offerings, which consist mostly of Vancouver-made products and gifts. “Many of the store’s salespeople are builders who also helped out.”
Pop-Local, at 111 Grant St., held its grand opening Saturday amidst a crowd of cheering community members. It’s the first permanent store specifically selling retail goods on the waterfront, and it’s meant to attract locals and tourists alike, Chan said.
The store is open Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Mondays.
Pop-Local started in October 2020 at 111 W. Ninth St., and Chan has built enough businesses to move into the new location, which is about twice as spacious as the old one. It’s about 2,300 square feet with storage space and a photo booth room where people can take pictures in front of a Vancouver-themed set.
Chan describes the store as having a modern-contemporary vibe with “a story behind every product,” she said. Products include hot sauces, coffee, honey, candles, prints, hoodies, jewelry, flowers, plants, beer, wine and snacks. Most of it comes from within a one hour drive radius.
Saleswoman Ghania O’Neill stopped by the store on Monday to drop off her Vancouver-made sunflower seed butter, ry’s sunbutter. She is one of more than 80 vendors who sell their wares at Pop-Local.
“It’s so exciting that Jessica (Chan) has brought together so many local creators like this,” O’Neill said. “Having my product next to Maryhill Winery is really cool. I expect it will help my business a lot.
Food, wine, and beer tastings are also available at Pop-Local, and Chan plans to add sandwiches and other takeout options to the store soon, along with frequent rotation of existing products.
“As part of the customer experience, I will soon have QR codes for each brand’s products in store for people to scan – this will then take you to their profile on our website,” she said. declared. “I plan to eventually have an online store as well.”
Chan also runs the Vancouver Night Market as a separate entity, and she is looking for a new location to host the events since the last location at the Vancouver Innovation Center in East Vancouver is no longer available, a- she declared.
Chan said having Pop-Local at the Waterfront Vancouver is an opportunity for Vancouver products to be more exposed to the public.
“It gives these small businesses a chance to shine,” she said.
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