Green Cricket Interview with Pretty Clean Shop
1) What does a day at work look like for you?
I come into the shop early after an always unpredictable morning routine at home with my 2 young kids. Then it’s a quick huddle with the team to check in, give them direction as to where their day should go, and troubleshoot any concerns.
Much of my daily routine centers around face time with customers because I really enjoy making new connections and helping them find out which product fits them best.
I also take time to work on the admin side of things and planning ahead. I am diligent on constantly researching for new products and plastic-free refillable formats to offer our clientele, so many afternoons are spent doing that. Also, whether it’s through the website, social media management or marketing efforts, there’s always a part of my day spent on improving the customer’s shopping experience, with interesting and educational information, that’s as visually appealing as possible.
Everyday is different and there’s an exciting part to that.
2) With the COVID 19 pandemic, what has changed in terms of your store and customers?
Literally overnight, we shifted to online sales and felt so relieved to have worked on setting the online shop alongside our brick and mortar.
We offered free local delivery and also free curbside pickup options.
One of the main features of our business model is refillable home and personal care, which became a challenge in the changing safety conditions, so we opted to put the BYOC option on hold for a while and offered almost all of our products in a prefill format. You buy the product with a small deposit for the bottle or jar and when you run out, you leave the jar with us and swap it for a new prefilled container. This new system is safer and more efficient for our team and customers, so far, everyone is loving the convenience of it.
3) What’s your favourite product from the store right now?
It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for skincare. I’m constantly researching and testing different brands, that’s my jam! I’m in love with the new luxurious Vitamin C and Bakuchiol serums from Etymologie, the Hotty Balm moisturizer that is a powerful and super affordable little pot of goodness, and the face serum bars from Nazhia. I’m also sold on the invigorating shampoo bar from Upfront, perfect for my fine, flat hair. And a little secret we’ve kept under wraps: our very own and refillable blends of essential oil diffuser blends!
4) How has adopting a more sustainable lifestyle changed your daily life?
Though I’ve always been health and eco-conscious, it was only after having my first child that I became more concerned with everything that came into our house and our bodies. So began my journey of “cleansing” my life and our family home of harmful chemicals. I explored and discovered my way to a core of beautiful brands and safe alternatives to the “canon” of mainstream cleaning and personal care products. Adding to this a greater focus on avoiding single-used plastics and reusing or repurposing almost every item that comes into my hands. So I quit my corporate sales job and started building Pretty Clean Shop. Sustainable living often takes more time and thought, because we’ve been used to the convenience of disposability for such a long time. My main objective as a founder of Pretty Clean Shop is to make it easier to live sustainably.
5) What’s your favourite part of the city?
Definitely my local surroundings of The Junction and High Park.
Visit Pretty Clean Shop website.
