Essentials Department Store Inc.
Essentials is a chic shopping destination in the heart of Invermere. We are known for our high-quality men’s and women’s clothing, a huge selection of beautiful fabrics for quilters and sewers, and domestic and imported yarns for knitters and weavers. We also conduct onsite classes for beginning and advanced quilters as well as repairs on all makes of sewing machines.
When Carrie Rickards purchased Stober’s four years ago, it was a typical small-town department store. Today, ‘Essentials’, as she named it, has evolved into a unique shopping destination, known by valley residents and visitors alike, as ‘the’ place to shop for the kind of quality and service usually so hard to find today.
One of the first decisions Carrie made in her new business was to expand the fabric and yarn department in order to better serve the many knitters, quilters and sewers in the Columbia Valley. Now, it takes up roughly a third of the store’s area.
Quilters are artists, Carrie explains, and since they are making their quilts to last for generations, they see the value of buying the highest quality fabrics available. The store now carries more than 2,500 bolts of the most beautiful fabrics on the market, manufactured by companies like J.N. Harper, Timeless Treasures and Moda, and fabric designers such as Robert Kaufmann. The expansion was a wise move that has resulted in Essentials’ sewing department being the first stop for many people when they visit Invermere. Quilting classes are pretty much ongoing and take place in a classroom setting at the rear of the store where experienced quilters teach the growing numbers of people who want to learn the art. Quilted bags and home décor items are popular projects in the classes.
The yarn section is a feast for the eyes, with a multitude of yarns in fabulous colors and textures, from exotic places like Turkey, Peru and Italy, as well as domestic brands. Pattern books and accessories inspire knitters, weavers and crocheters with ideas for their next projects. The store also services all makes of sewing machines, with a turn-around of two or three days if no parts are needed.
Mondays are PHD (Projects Half Done!) days. Come and work on your latest project anytime during store hours and if you need assistance with your project, there is usually a knowledgeable staff member to come to your rescue.
Every second Tuesday is drop-in night at Essentials. Bring a project you are currently working on – knitting, hand stitching, quilting, etc. and there is usually someone on hand who knows how to give advice when needed. There is no charge and everyone is welcome so come and work on your project while visiting with others who enjoy needle arts like you do.
Carrie continues to research the best ways to respond to the interests of the community. She has enlarged the men’s clothing department and now carries a great selection of dress shirts, slacks, socks, underwear, pyjamas, etc. There is a large section of clothing for the outside worker, including such brand names as Storm Master, Work King, Work Horse, Dickies, Tough Duck and Sorel.
The Ladies Wear department carries clothing lines by Jean Pierre, Jag, Lois and Softworks as well as swimwear by such manufacturers as Christina, Baku and Be Creative. A selection of beautiful lingerie and cozy sleepwear make perfect gifts.
‘Columbia’ is the store’s largest supplier of men’s and ladies’ outdoor sportswear. Well made and with a lifetime warranty, the ‘Weekend Warrior’ line outfits anyone doing anything outdoors. The Woolrich and Royal Robbins lines for both men and women are also popular.
Carrie acknowledges that having a stable, steady staff is crucial for the success of any business and she is fortunate to have wonderful people working with her, whom she says are like family.
The rewards for her inspiration and hard work have been many, but one of the highlights for Carrie has been the business community’s acknowledgement of her inspiration and hard work when they named Essentials the Retailer of the Year for 2010.
Essentials Department Store Inc.
Owner/Operator: Carrie Rickards
516 – 13th Street
Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
Phone: 250-342-9313
Fax: 250-342-6023
Email: essentialsdepartmentstore@telus.net
