Feature Store
Insight
The Drake Hotel General Store is
likely a very typical hotel gift shop (in a
parallel universe)
The Back Story
The gift shop attached to Toronto’s Queen West arts and culture
haven, The Drake Hotel, is the result of a new buying approach
applied to an old business model. In 2008, the hotel’s owner Jeff
Stober joined forces with Shared Clothing designers Joyce Lo
and Carlo Colacci to open a pop-up shop in his hotel. “We didn’t
realize it would be such a different concept (than what people
were used to),” says Lo. “Then, we saw that people were coming
from all parts of the city.” Within two years, the store’s purple
neon cross logo would sit outside three Toronto locations.
Inside, customers are wide-eyed, exploring every object
with equal parts joy and awe. From ironic Canadiana to whimsi-
cal travel products, each item is utterly captivating. “We wanted
to make something for everyone, from vintage pieces to
one-of-a-kinds,” Lo explains. “You can come in with a dollar
and we’ll find you something.”
In the bigger, 500-square-foot stores, these ‘somethings’
range from giftware and Shared Clothing t-shirts to vintage
home décor, while the tiny Rosedale location is a tchotchke
heaven. Adding to the continuity of the concept, the part-time
employees at each location emanate the same Canadian-hipster
style as their surroundings.
|| drakegeneralstore.myshopify.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NANCY TONG
What’s Next?
With a successful expansion in
effect and Toronto’s imagination captive, where to?
“Moving forward, we’re going
to focus on developing our
online presence. This way we
can grow by reaching beyond
the borders of our stores.”
In this string of
Toronto stores,
Canadiana and
artisan wares
Top: The Drake General
Stores are known for their
edited mix of quirky artisan
goods and Canadiana
Centre: Customers cart
home their finds from The
Drake in simple Kraft bags
imprinted with the store's
name
Bottom: Carlo Colacci and
Joyce Lo, co-owners,
managers and buyers for
The Drake General Store
