A Little Bird Told Me
New Business Feature – Little Bird
Picture in your mind’s eye a small bird, sitting on the branch of a cherry blossom tree, resplendent in the glory of spring sunshine.
This peaceful image is one that resonates deeply with Little Bird shop-owner Rose Wagner. In the day to day of running her delightfully engaging gift and card boutique, Rose is moved by the idea of a bird’s free spirit and light-hearted nature, as well as its hardiness and ability to sustain itself throughout all the year’s seasons, harsh as they may be.
Little Bird opened its doors in late 2017 at 163 Station Street. Since then, the shop has been charming tourists and locals alike with an elegant curation of cards, sweets and treats, including a variety of artwork, intricate jewelry by Sylvia Wilson, woven shawls by Duncan weaver Tara Roblin, Japanese origami paper, and organic soaps and lotions by PureLiving.
Before owning Little Bird, Rose owned Leaf & Petal. After selling her floral shop and working for a while as an interior designer, she realized how much she missed the fast pace of retail, and the excitement of trading in life’s little pleasures.
As she developed her business plan, the phrase, “a little bird told me it was your birthday” kept coming to her mind and that is how the name of Little Bird Greets, Sweets & Treats came to be.
When asked what her favorite part of running Little Bird is, Rose responded without hesitation: “selling beautiful things and meeting people.”
Operating a shop which caters to special occasions, both joyous and less so, lends itself to deep conversation and creates many opportunities to connect with customers.
Rose compares her role to that of a bartender: she is witness to both the happy and heavy events that happen in people’s lives, and offers her ear in all circumstances. These may be painful moments, such as the loss of a loved one, or the beginning of difficult medical treatment. Other times a customer is in a celebratory mood and wants to share in the excitement of commemorating the birth of a baby or a milestone birthday.
One of the most unique products that Little Bird carries are the tiaras that Rose makes by hand. What started as an experimental, humorous Mother’s Day gift for her own mother (who shares a birth year with Queen Elizabeth II) has turned into a signature offering.
Little Bird’s stock has evolved to include more and more local items. Recently, a collaboration with Cowichan Tribes artisan Shawn Johnny resulted in his first line of cards featured at Little Bird. Another connection with an artist from Victoria, Suzanne Heron, produced the first set of postcards featuring paintings of Duncan’s totem poles, which have proven to be very popular.
Given her wide range of cute cards, meaningful gifts, and tasty treats, as well as a personalized gift wrapping service, Little Bird has you covered for all special occasions, in any season.
