A one-stop pop-up shop has opened at Portage Place.
The store called Launch It! was created through a partnership with Downtown Winnipeg Biz and Portage Place. It features seven different entrepreneurs from across the city.
Lennard Taylor has been a fashion designer for seven years now. He said the diverse clientele at Portage Place has been giving all the young entrepreneurs great exposure.
“This is 100 per cent helpful. It’s so motivating to be in a space with other entrepreneurs. We’re all in the same position. We’re all just trying to learn. We’re trying to get our products out there, our names out there, and working together really helps to strengthen us as a united front and get our local community out to this space,” said Taylor.
Darlene Galbraith said she heard about the shop this morning and headed right over. “I think this is one of the best ideas I’ve seen for downtown. I think that it adds both, you’ve got people who can come in and check out the new business, and for young business entrepreneurs I think it’s a great opportunity for them.”
Galbraith said she hopes this shop helps revitalize the downtown core – something Stefano Grande from Downtown Winnipeg BIZ said is one of the main goals.
He said this project can help capitalize on what he believes is the next wave of the downtown revitalization.
The seven businesses in the pop-up shop are Delicious Kicks, Digi Plus, EPH Apparel, Lennard Taylor, Oi Furniture, Synonym Art Consultation and The Bannock Factory.
Launch it! is open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will also be open this coming Juno weekend on March 29 and 30 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
