Fall in love with Pearl & Birch
Pearl & Birch is kicking ass and taking names- and we want you to be a part of it! As we round out our third wedding season I am feeling more inspired than ever to share the magical moments that make us more than a bridal store and a proud part of a movement that is on the verge of exploding here on the prairies. If you had told me that less than four years into creating a bridal experience featuring used gowns that we would be selling hundreds of dresses a month and making thousands of dollars for our consignment community I would have told you to quit playing games with my heart. But here we are, creating consignment magic everyday. And for those of you who don’t yet speak our language I am here to share with you all the ways that have made us a real consideration for anyone shopping and selling formal in Manitoba.
Rumour has it
If you know anyone who has needed a formal gown, been in a wedding or you love the idea of shopping secondhand than you have more than likely heard whispers of us around the water cooler. We love the gossip and it has been our most successful “marketing strategy” to date. And there is a reason people love the service. It’s simple. It’s effective. It’s personal. And it incorporates everything you desire from a traditional retail experience. When people think of shopping for used wedding dresses they often wonder if they will be entering into something that is different than the typical retail model they have been exposed to their entire consumer life. And the truth is, they will. As we continue to challenge the stigma of “used” we are building a level of customer service that exceeds our clients expectations. And our hope is that this level of service combined with the clear benefits of shopping preloved opens up a world of vast possibilities where there are fewer limitations, zero timelines and financial opportunities that simply don’t exist in a traditional bridal salon.
Ever wonder why we are called Pearl & Birch? The answer to this question, daily inspo and so much more is waiting for you on Instagram!
I love buffets, don't you?
Imagine a restaurant that served all of your favourite items from every meal you ever enjoyed. I know, right?! Our inventory offers the most celebrated items you can find in stores and online. We feature new, unworn, used and pre-altered occasion cocktails, bridesmaids dresses, mother’s dresses, graduation formal and wedding gowns along with shoes, jewelry, hairpieces, veils and so much more! Here is how we get them: clients apply to consign (sell with us) via an online form which allows us to pre-screen their items prior to the intake appointment. This means that we filter through all of the potential inventory and curate a selection that reflects what modern brides are looking for while including traditional must-haves and unique gowns you can’t find anywhere else.
Whether it’s a dress you could only order from another country, a high value designer item that came from a store you aren’t prepared to spend money in or an archived style that you have searched high and low for, our racks offer something for everyone. Every salon in the city features different designers and in order to see them all you would have to shop at 5 or 6 places! Pearl & Birch is a one-stop shop for everything from value-driven brands like David’s Bridal to coveted labels like Hayley Paige.
Its all in the details
Don’t stop ‘til you get enough! We are personal stylists, resale experts and lovers of fashion. Our knowledge is endless, and we love to share it. Asking for help costs you absolutely nothing and can result in you finding your everything. You won’t find bored, disinterested consultants playing on their phones here. Our fast past, always changing selection means that the staff are constantly falling in love with new arrivals and learning more details about the current collection making their ability to match the gowns to our guests seamless (pun totally intended!).
Education is a big part of how we stay engaged with our shoppers. Our primary training tools? Listening and asking the right questions. From our welcoming store tour to the narrowing of options our goal is to spend quality time with our guests observing and retaining all the information (believe me, you are dropping a lot of useful tidbits throughout your visit and we are picking it all up) so that by the end of your bridal experience we have you in THE dress or leaving with a short-list of must-haves that you actually can name on your next outing. As the owner, I find joy in cataloging every detail from every piece of inventory we have. If we have it here, I will find it for you.
Small shop, big dreams
Everything you love about smaller boutiques you will find here. Unique displays, locally made pieces, interesting gifts and a less intimidating environment. That’s not to say we don’t get busy, we often do, and we are a smaller space, so it can feel really exciting at times! In an effort to remove the feeling of a discount warehouse we choose to operate in a more intimate space. It allows us to see every client from where we are in the store, interact with each guest multiple times though out the visit and communicate with team members about who needs assistance and why. It also allows us to work closely with friends and family while maintaining an eye on the bride, grad or mother for who we are shopping for. It is sometimes challenging when we have larger groups come though but we make it work, learning everyone’s name and offering one-on-one time with each shopper. We recognize that as our business has grown so does the need for more accommodations and we have some big plans for this fall that are going to make the 2020 season our best yet!
Pearl & Birch may be the new kid on the block, but we are very proud of the values that drive our business. Creating a unique shopping experience, saving clients money, offering an alternative to online buy and sells and celebrating local experts and makers through the vendors and services we promote makes us ethical and economical. In a world driven by consumerism we choose to embrace the idea that used is the new new and our guests never have to compromise on service, selection or sale price. If you are going somewhere in 2020, we have a dress for that.
See you soon!
XO Amanda
