Caravan And Company Opens Dieppe Physical Storefront
DIEPPE–Erin Keatch is opening a permanent brick-and-mortar home in Dieppe for Caravan and Company, her eclectic collection of clothing, jewelry, and accessories.
Keatch, owner and founder of Caravan and Company, told Huddle the formerly online-only business’ move to a real-life perch at 304 Champlain St. follows the success of a pop-up shop she opened last year, in Riverview.
“It’s really grown a lot since then and I think it’s a really good kind of buzz going on in Moncton and Dieppe. There seems to be a lot of businesses opening up,” said Keatch, who is originally from Winnipeg.
Located in a 400-square-foot suite in the new Evolution Place development, Caravan and Company is a curated retailer with a global flair, selling ‘slow fashion,‘ and a gamut of artisanal wares that range from Colombian handbags and Peruvian Christmas ornaments to square-sewn garments from India and South African jewelry.
Keatch plans to open the shop in the first week of December.
“Typically, the kind of people who are into it are more into the arts and travel and that kind of thing – but it’s kind of all over the place as far as customers go. It attracts people who are kind of into different sorts of things,” she said.
To accompany the opening, Keatch has extended some of the lines of products available at last year’s popup in Riverview – including Lvnea Canada perfumes, and Northlore botanical body care products.
Other lines that are making a comeback include Sokoloff lingerie from Montreal, Amici clothing from Italy and Jennafer Grace clothing from California.
Keatch, who launched Caravan and Company in 2019, said she hasn’t been able to have her entire collection in one place and is excited to do so at the Dieppe store.
While Caravan and Company sources most of its wares from suppliers across the globe, Keatch told Huddle she’s encountered no supply chain hitches since opening.
Keatch said she doesn’t buy in bulk, and avoids synthetic materials, adding that makers from whom she sources her products manufacture them “on their own time.”
“Shipping is definitely not a problem; there’s nothing stuck on containers or anything like that,” she said.
While Keatch and her husband Patrick Furlong run the store with one member of staff, she hopes to hire a second-part timer to cover the busier times of day.
As the economy recovers from the pandemic, it’s with a feeling of optimism that Keatch prepares to open, noting she believes people need day-to-day social connections.
To foster these, Keatch, who has worked previously as a fashion designer in Toronto, has plans to make her brick-and-mortar and artistic space and host art receptions, wine and cheese nights, and other social events
She noted her goal is to welcome the community to her store and tie in the creative and artistic aspects of the business with the people in the community most receptive to that
“People want to get out and they want to touch and see interesting things and be around other people. I think that’s been really missing from our lives in the past couple of years,” she said.
Sam Macdonald is a Huddle reporter in Moncton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].