Stepping Into The Past, Filberg Gift Shop Supports the Future
Vancouver, BC – Filberg Gift Shop has had a banner year! In 2010 Filberg volunteer Val Graham envisioned a re-thinking and re-opening of the Filberg Gift Shop, proposing a formal business plan for the Gift Shop to be self-sufficient, guided and operated by a volunteer committee. Marshalling an enthusiastic volunteer base of around 20, many of whom had retail and/or marketing experience, Graham reorganized the gift shop’s space, built a business operations model, and began collecting donated vintage and “collectible” items-all with the intent of contributing not only to the conservation and preservation of the Filberg Heritage site, but to draw a wider community to the lodge and park.
The Filberg Gift Shop opened its doors Mother’s Day weekend, 2011. “The collectibles aspect of our lovely items seems to fit very nicely with the Heritage Lodge and Park,” said Val Graham. “Sometimes,” she commented, “the Filberg Gift Shop is like stepping into the past.”
She was at first surprised at the response of FHLPA members as well as the general public to the idea of donating quality items, but over the months, the incoming inventory swelled and there seemed to be a corresponding interest by the purchasing public. Eventually, realizing that the Lodge Gift Shop had begun to carve a unique niche in the Comox Valley, the business plan shifted to focus primarily on donated “collectibles” augmented by a few purchased items. As the inventory swelled, so did the income and, not insignificantly, a loyal customer base.
