Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Haugan.
Janet, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Peggy Merrill & Janet Haugan opened boréal in May 2019 after many years of buying & selling lovely things for the iconic Bibelot Shops. boréal, meaning of the North or from a cold climate, has a Scandinavian sensibility that stems from Peggy’s travels in Scandinavia when she was young and Janet’s Swedish heritage. They both love good design & color and use their different sensibilities to make boréal special.
Peggy has been in retail since 1981, starting at Preview in St Anthony Main. She moved to Bibelot in 1985 as a clothing buyer, eventually helping to grow the business to 5 locations as HR/Store Manager, Gift Buyer & anything else that needed to be done.
Janet started her retail career in high school at the Corner Hardware in 1981. After college she worked as a department manager at the Dayton’s downtown Minneapolis store from 1988 – 1995. She started at Bibelot in 1995 & worked as HR/Store Manager & Gift Buyer.
Being a part of a vibrant, small business community, working with wonderful people & customers, and sharing their love of gift giving has made owning boréal such a joy.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When we were opening the business, our advisor told us we would be fine as long as there wasn’t a pandemic, a recession or a war. We have faced all 3 of those challenges & have still been successful. Loyal customers & wonderful co-workers have been a large part of this success.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a small, close knit group of people who love helping customers. We truly believe the conversation is as important as the purchase. Creating relationships & showing kindness is part of what we enjoy. We do our best to help when needed and offer free gift wrap all year round.
boréal offers a curated selection of clothing, gifts, jewelry, stationery & toys. Our many years of retail buying have allowed us to hone in on what’s new & special. We love Scandinavian Design & that echoes throughout the store.
Our 2nd level is dedicated to showcasing local art on a rotating, monthly basis. In September were thrilled to host Crop Art from the Minnesota State Fair. In December we will be featuring multiple ceramic artists. All art is available for purchase. The loft is open during store hours, M-Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Discover what you do well, & find someone else to help with what you don’t. Find your community to share ideas & advice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shop.boreal.life
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boreal.life/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boreal.life/
