The staff at Brewed Awakenings have put together gift boxes filled with exclusive items, designed to support the municipality’s small local businesses. Brewed Awakening’s Alyssa Smith came up with the idea for the Hometown Treasures and Treats boxes last year and, due to the pandemic and the increased emphasis on shopping local, she thought it would be a good time to implement it.
“I love the idea of a subscription box where you pay for a box, and you get it, and there are all these cool products in it,” she says. “I kind of lamented the fact that there wasn’t a local one, so I thought we could put one together.”
The first box is targeted towards women, and has items from Jac’s Boutique, SuGold, Saltastic, Brewed Awakenings, and Bebe’s Boutique in Mountain. Each business has curated a selection of exclusive products for the boxes, but exactly what will come in the box will be a surprise. “If you know what they carry, you can kind of have an idea of what each one is going to put in,” Alyssa says. “But I think the surprise is the best part.”
Boxes are limited, with only 50 available to make distribution and putting the boxes together manageable for the Brewed Awakenings staff. According to Brewed Awakenings owner, Kika Smith, both businesses and customers alike have been very supportive of the idea, and over 50% of the boxes were already sold as of last Friday. “Everybody has been so enthusiastic,” she says. “The retailers who are participating, the people that have bought already, they’re just so excited about it and think it’s a great idea.”
Alyssa says they hope to orchestrate Hometown Treats and Treasures boxes quarterly, with a different theme for each box. The next one will be organized for January, and Alyssa is thinking it may have a fitness theme, to highlight many of the local gyms, studios, and fitness centres that the municipality has to offer.
Although the boxes have been a lot of work to put together, both Alyssa and Kika agree that it is worth it to help showcase local products and shops that people may not be aware of. “COVID has been difficult for everybody and a challenge for everybody,” Kika says. “If we can promote local this way, then absolutely.”
Hometown Treats and Treasurers boxes are $150 each, with $200 worth of product in each order. Boxes are available until Thursday, November 26 (tomorrow), with pick-up from Brewed Awakenings on December 1 and 2. To order your box, you can message Brewed Awakenings on their Facebook page, send an email to brewedawakenings@outlook.com, or call the store at 613-258-6251.
