Nicole Bracey, co-owner of Calgary’s Greater Goods boutique, gives us the scoop on what’s trending in Stampede City.

Every city is different and changing Canadian locales (whether it’s for a quick vacation or a long-term relocation) means there are new trends to look forward to. With spring just around the corner, we chatted with Nicole Bracey of Greater Goods—a boutique in Calgary’s Bridgeland neighbourhood that celebrates local handmade goods—to get the scoop on what’s trending in Calgary right now. Soy candles by Salt Water Tea (Photo: Riana Lisbeth).

1. Soy Candles

“Soy candles have become really popular within the last year or so,” Bracey says. “Most candles are 99 percent paraffin and someone must’ve finally said ‘Hey, paraffin is an oil by-product: lets not burn this,’ and soy is a great alternative. The benefit of a soy candle is that it’s clean to burn, it’s a renewable resource and it’s vegan, so for those who don’t want to use beeswax, soy is a really good option.”Cool Product Alert: Canadian companies Salt Water Tea and Natura Soylights carry a selection of soy candles in scents like lavender, vanilla bourbon and honey apple orchard. Natural bath bombs by Mint and Daisy (Photo: Riana Lisbeth).

2. Natural Skincare Products

“I’ve noticed over this past year that people are ditching their drugstore products for natural moisturizers, lotions, bath bombs, deodorants—anything you can get commercially, you can get naturally and there’s been a huge demand for that. I think part of the reason is that it’s a fantastic gift as well. There’s nothing better than getting a really good smelling bath set.”Cool Product Alert: Check out the natural skincare lines from Lavami and Mint and Daisy. Choker by Salt Water Tea (Photo: Sarah Beau Photo).

3. Choker Necklaces

“Chokers are huge right now,” says the shop owner and jewellery designer. “We’ve done a full circle back to the ’90s and they are absolutely back in.”Cool Product Alert: While Anne Tranholm crafts hand drawn pendants, fellow Calgarian Jennea Frischke sticks to traditional metalsmith techniques.

READ MOREThe Ultimate Guide to Calgary’s Interior Design Shops

(Photo: @greatergoodsyyc on Instagram).

4. Locally Roasted Coffee

“A micro-roastery culture is starting to happen in Calgary. Calgary Heritage Roasting Co. is pretty new and they’re very big into bold, smooth cups of coffee. It’s common for places to want to have very acidic or very floral roasts, but Calgary Heritage isn’t like that—they want to bring it back to what coffee is supposed to be.”Cool Product Alert: If coffee’s not your thing, try the Alberta-made offerings from Canada Sweet Shop and Teariffic. Cards by Becky Warren Design (Photo: @greatergoodsyyc on Instagram).

5. Artisan Greeting Cards

“Funny, sassy, and dark humour cards are definitely popping up. I think people who are in their mid-to-late twenties are starting to write cards again, which is awesome because for a while people stopped sending mail and now that everything’s electronic it’s nice to get mail sometimes. A lot of the cards are targeting a younger audience with cultural references, animal and food puns, and cute text—things you can give to your friends with a good sense of humour.”Cool Product Alert: Bracey loves the cards from Little Me Paper Co. and Rhubarb Paper Co. Greater Goods in Calgary (Photo: Riana Lisbeth).

6. Shopping Local

“A lot of stores want to carry things that are made locally, and I think that’s partly due to the economy because you get a better price. When you’re not importing, you’re not paying shipping, duties or exchange rates. Over the past year people have really realized that shopping locally isn’t as expensive as they thought it was going to be. It really isn’t a big investment. You think that because you’re buying from an artist that it’s going to be a really big purchase, but a lot of artists are making very accessible things in a huge price range.”

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