Guess what time it is?
Time to nominate your favorite business for the 2023 Greater Parkland Reginal Chamber Awards!
Romantic Notions has our eye on a few of those prestigious awards, including Business of the Year Award of Distinction – Small Business, Legacy Award of Distinction and Parkland County Award of Excellence Small-Medium Business.
Let us tell you why we think these awards would look good on us, and if you agree, see the bottom of the page to hit the link and send in your nomination!
Business of the Year – Small Business sponsored by Main Street Law LLP • Be at least 51% Alberta owned and operated Awarded in recognition of exceptional customer service, ingenuity, and leadership on a smaller scale. The Outstanding Small Business Award is given to a business with less than 10 employees. This business has transformed an idea into a successful, sustainable business by understanding their market’s key challenges, customers, and the competitive landscape.
We, at Romantic Notions, have been providing excellent customer service to our community for 20 years. We believe we would be a good candidate for this award as we are a small team, with big aspirations to provide our community with items that not only look and feel amazing, ensure our clients feel amazing in them! In the last year, we have done several things to continue the success of our store such as more strategic marketing. A great example of this is our “this or that” posts, enabling us to pinpoint what our clients prefer and bringing in those favorite items. We have had several challenges over the last year, as we are in the middle of town and heavily surrounded by construction. Making sure our clients have access to easy instructions when traffic is rerouted, and keeping current in daily posts so they know we are here and open, while making sure each client is attended to and finding those perfect items all helps to contribute to us staying in business. It may be inconvenient sometimes to get to us, but it is worth it when you get here!
We are locally owned and operated. Robin has been active in the community for many years, and 90% of our staff live, shop, and play in this community. Except for our Social Media person, who decided to move to Edmonton, we try not to hold it against her as her parents and brother all live in Spruce Grove.
We know our clients could go to other places to buy their intimates. We also know they come here for the service, for our competitive pricing and because we bring in some of the best, most comfortable supportive garments you can find. Not only do you get many options, but our team also makes sure they fit and you are more than satisfied with your choices.
Legacy Award of Distinction: The Greater Parkland Regional Chamber of Commerce Legacy Award is a highly distinguished award that recognizes an individual(s) or organization who has gone above and beyond, over a span of many years, to serve the community and help others. Recipient decided by the Greater Parkland regional Chamber of Commerce.
This Award may be a bit trickier. I believe this one is going to be selected by our GPRC committee. In that case if they are having a read here… not to brag but… Romantic Notions has been providing this community lovely supportive garments for 20 years. We have not only fit several generations in everything from under garments, to swimsuits, pajamas and robes; we have expanded! We make sure we have something for everyone including himself, with our selection of men’s undies, pajamas and robes!
We have made countless donations (over $50,000) to organizations from the community including the Kinnette Christmas Hampers, Parkland Foodbank, the public library, sports leagues, charities and more. As well, we have raised funds and collected donations for places like the Mustard Seed, Youth Emergency Shelter and the Women’s Shelter. We have spent time cleaning up around our building, ensuring our clients enjoy a well-maintained, clean and safe environment.
We have 20 years supporting local, being local and hiring local. We do great things for and around our community. Another simple example is having the team pay a loonie into the pot to dress in jeans on Fridays. These proceeds go to a lunch program in Spruce Grove to help provide healthy food for our youth. We find little ways to support and show love to the people who have come back time and time again to support us over the last 20 years.
Parkland County Award of Excellence Small-Medium Business presented by Parkland County • A business that grosses under $1 million in top line revenue • Development of business through innovation • Demonstrates resiliency, strategic thinking, and initiative that brought the business through the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year whether through products, ventures, or campaigns.
This award is from the Municipality of Spruce Grove, and we would like to have a shot at it as well. Our store does not max out the top line revenue and believe we have demonstrated resiliency in the face of several obstacles we have seen over the last years. Construction has been an ongoing battle, as Spruce Grove works on beautifying the neighborhood and making parking and accessibility a bit smoother. With that comes a bit of a struggle for the neighboring businesses. Lucky for us we are a destination shop, and where there is a will, there is a way, and our clients will find it. It does make new clients who would drive by and stop in a little less frequent, we have made sure we post consistently on social media platforms and target our ads to specific demographics. Being able to draw new traffic to us, helps not only us but our surrounding neighboring business.
We have recently added to our team someone to focus on our social media, and marketing strategies. Looking into new ways to get our name out, updating our ads and keeping things current with what is trending. Changing the way our website functions, and looking at things like SEO, so new clients can find us, clients can see what we have in store, and we can make sure we aren’t being overlooked as “that sex store” in town. Sorry – we had to mention in the elephant in the room, which is another obstacle that we are constantly butting heads with. Many people still think we are a novelty shop, and we have seen many clients this year who are surprised. Our marketing has been to show all the things we have to offer, so those who haven’t been in yet, can feel comfortable in coming in and finding out the great selection we have. Do we occasionally still use it as an attention grabber? Of course, but who can blame us!
If you have made it this far, then hopefully we have demonstrated to you why we would be great nominees for these awards! If you agree follow the link and fill in the nomination form before September 8th, 2023.
Thank you to all of our amazing clients for sticking with us over the last 20 years and let’s hope for the next 20 to be just as fantastic!
For more information click here!