After 2 years, I am transitioning the business to focus on wholesaling Honey Tobacco products across North America, growing the Picot online store, and hosting local seasonal markets. The last day that Picot will be open as a brick & mortar is August 31st. It's with both an excited and heavy heart that I share this news with you. It's been a very successful business and this transition is not coming because we couldn't make a go of it, quite surprisingly the opposite. As many of you know, it's a hustle to run your own business. I am making this shift so that I can invest more in my health, focus on growing whats working well from the business, and continue to engage and build community through seasonal markets.
I want to share my gratitude to you for supporting small businesses. You didn't just buy a gift for your friend or yourself over the years- you've made a bigger impact than that. You have contributed to building a business that not only supports local makers, but enriches a community and a neighborhood. From you shopping with us, we were able to:
- Support and grow 40+ different small businesses through regular sales at the store
- Get a grant from the city to hang the string lights across Fernwood Square
- Host fun events and workshops in our space, inspiring more people to explore creativity
- Create the Night Markets to include sales and exposure for over 120 different businesses
- Provide various donations for charity, including supporting a young girl go through cancer treatment and recovery
- Provide 3 steady incomes for the shop staff
- & so much more
What to expect from here
- The shop will stay open regular hours until August 31st, the last day of the market. You better believe we will party! We will not deplete stock or look like we are "closing out"... we will run with the same care and consistency that we always have. A lot of the products we sell are on consignment, so, I'm sorry to say, we will not be having a huge sale. But perhaps we will on the last day.
- All Honey Tobacco products ordered from our website will have free shipping for Victoria customers after August 31
- As long as you are still following Picot through this newsletter and social media you will be in the loop for what ventures lay ahead.
- Another announcement will come in the Fall for what shops you will find Honey Tobacco in Victoria and across North America. Watch out Calgary, Toronto, and Seattle, we've already got shops lined up.
Its heartbreaking writing this email to you, and yet it's also very exciting and humbling to be following through with what I have known to be the right decision for a long time. A great reminder for me is from Steven Pressfield, who wrote the War of Art and said, " The more important the work is to your soul's evolution, the more resistance and fear you will feel towards pursuing it".
One last thing... those of you who we have gotten to know through the store, the conversations we've had have been memorable points of joy and fulfillment for Arielle, Rachel and I. We've really cherished these connections. If you are reading this while remembering a time we talked about more than mugs and the weather, then yeah, we're talking to you.
I simply want to thank you, so deeply, from the bottom of my heart, for being a part of this journey so far and I look forward to continuing the next chapter with you through the online store, Honey Tobacco products and seasonal markets.
Love Britt
