The pandemic is keeping people closer to home to do their shopping and smaller towns like Chemainus are making sure the price is right for customers.
That fits right in with Carol Hodgins’ pledge to offer quality at a reasonable cost at Chemainus’ Little Angels Children’s Boutique, located in Croft Place at 103-9844 Croft St.
Hodgins, an Island girl born in Victoria and raised and still living in Nanaimo, searched high and low on the Island for the right place to address children’s clothing needs and found the perfect location in Chemainus.
“It was one of those lucky things I found this spot,” she said.
The beginning of 2020 marked a time of change for Hodgins and that’s before anything happened with COVID. She’d been planning to get into business for herself for a few years and it finally came to fruition with the opening of the store in December.
She’ll eventually be looking for a place to move here as well, but that will come in due time.
“Let’s get the business up and running first,” Hodgins reasoned.
Little Angels sells all new clothes sourced from across Canada. Customers will find brand names such as Gap, Guess, Levis, Krickets and Old Navy, alongside designer labels like Calvin Klein, Jessica Simpson and Tommy Hilfiger.
Hodgins has clothing for both boys and girls from newborn to pre-teen sizes priced from 40 to 60 percent below manufacturer’s suggested retail prices at Little Angels.
“I know how expensive it can be to raise children,” she conceded. “When my children were young I suddenly became a single parent. Living on a very limited income was a challenge but I was determined to find ways to ensure my kids looked great and felt confident about themselves. Thus, I spent a lot of time hunting for bargains on new kids’ clothing for my family.
“I took all that experience and put it into this to hopefully become the supplier of children’s clothing for Chemainus.”
Hodgins uses her buying skills to source products for the store.
“It is my mission to give my customers quality items at affordable pricing,” she noted. “A visit to the boutique is a bit like a treasure hunt.”
New merchandise is brought in every week so there are always unique pieces to find and new items are posted on the store’s website.
“I want to offer new surprises for parents and grandparents every time they visit the store,” Hodgins indicated. “I look for items that are not available in every mall on the Island. By buying often and in small numbers Little Angels children will look unique and fashionable.”
Little Angels is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Private appointments can also be booked outside of regular store hours for those concerned about current health issues.
The response to her store has been most satisfying for Hodgins.
“It’s been wonderful. The community has given me a huge hug,” she said. “We have a lot of grandparents in the community and they’re sharing the information.”
