There’s a trendy new boutique shopping experience in Cranbrook.
On July 3, Freyja Lifestyle Fashion opened its second location in Cranbrook, in a space shared by Muriel and Jane’s General Store, which recently moved from its 10th Avenue spot to a new home on 9th Avenue.
Laurie Goodlad, owner of Muriel and Jane’s, which opened in 2011, said the new location has more character and was a great opportunity to share a front door with the expansion of the popular Fernie store Freyja.
“The two stores complement each other, though they are not combined,” said Freyja owner Chantel Souliere, who grew up in Cranbrook before relocating to Fernie and opening her original store in 2006.
Freyja and Muriel and Jane’s are located at 16 – 9th Avenue, in the space previously occupied by the Vanity Room.
Muriel and Jane’s takes up the front space, as well as several smaller rooms set up as living space to display homewares.
Freyja is located in the space that used to be home to a hair salon.
The two business owners met several years ago through Chantel’s mother, a frequent Muriel and Jane’s customer.
Chantel first ran several pop-up shops in Muriel and Jane’s in the lead-up to Christmas: a one-evening-only shopping experience where Cranbrook customers could purchase Freyja fashion. These evenings were popular, and Chantel said she had several Cranbrook residents who made the trip to Fernie to visit Freyja, so she knew a second store here was a good idea.
“I knew deep down that it was going to work,” Chantal said. “I just needed the opportunity and Laurie provided that.”
Laurie said that, after three years in business, Muriel and Jane’s has learned what products Cranbrook shoppers want to see, and now she sells more art, gifts and jewellery, as well as her popular homewares.
She travels frequently to search for new product lines that you won’t find anywhere else in Cranbrook.
Similarly, Chantel said that Freyja also carries brands that are unique to the store, but that it’s the boutique experience that shoppers love the most with both Muriel and Jane’s and Freyja under the same roof.
“We wanted to create a shopping experience. Shopping should be fun. It’s a boutique experience,” said Chantel.
The stores are open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.