Archive for the ‘Flagship Funnies (4th Ave)’ Category

Commemorating Victoria Day

Friday, May 21st, 2010

To commemorate Victoria Day, GumDrops Flagship Store will be open from 12:00pm to 5:00 pm PST, Monday, May 24th. We will resume normal store hours on Tuesday, May 25, 2010.

As always our Website Store is open 24 hours.

Our Website and Company offices will be closed on Monday, May 24th, also resuming normal office hours on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010.

Sincerely,

Shanda, Kathryn & Brianna

Being an almost, life long resident of Australia, I am more knowledgeable about the origin of our Statutory Holidays. I’m not always “in the know” here in Canada. So with another long weekend fast approaching, I though it only appropriate to put my “smart hat” on and research what we are celebrating.

Victoria Day is a federal Canadian Statutory Holiday celebrated on the last Monday before or on 24 May, in honour of both Queen Victoria’s birthday and the current reigning Canadian Soverign’s official birthday, and is also considered an informal mark of the beginning of the summer season……Summer….. pshhh….I don’t think cold, windy, torrential downpours constitute as Summer. I definitely suggest packing your gumboots for any travels in the BC area!! As for my research….I officially love Wikipedia!! Read on…. about Victoria Day.

Be good, stay safe and Happy Victoria Day!!!

Introducing, Kathryn and Brianna

Monday, May 17th, 2010



We're both big fans!

As the GumDrops blog newbies, we thought our first post should be used to introduce ourselves. And what better way than by asking each other 20 random questions? Enjoy!

#1) If you were an animal, what would you be?

B:  Cat! They are hilarious! .. And I like to think they have crazy adventures like in the Aristocats

K: Angora rabbit. Google it, not going to lie- they are amazing.

#2: If you could be best friends with any celebrity, who would it be?

B:  Lady Gaga, I think she would want to do crazy things like have a picnic on a New York sidewalk, while wearing a dead fish bedazzled hat.

K:  As tempting as a fish hat sounds, I’m going to go with Conan O’Brien!!

B: I’m super jealous you thought of him, I love him!

Twin alert: We both revealed that we used to think up ways to be famous just so we could appear on Conan O’Brien’s talk show.

#3) What song are you still dancing around to?

B: “Stop” By the Spice Girls. Yeah, I still reenact my grade 4 lip sync moves.

K: Single Ladies.

#4) Your secret obsession?

B: Gushers, and Dunkaroos.

K: Oooh.. Toss up, bacon or perogies.

#5) What movie have you watched so many times, you can quote it?

B: Honestly, every movie.. I have a talent for remembering useless lines in movies. But the movie I could probably reenact scene for scene, line for line, is Step Brothers! ” I am NOT going to call him dad.. Even if there’s a fire!!!”

K: Zoolander. ” Hansel.. He’s so hot right now.”

#6) What do you miss most about being a kid?

B: Playing with my barbies, and reenacting “Days Of Our Lives” with them.

K: Wow.

B: And! Rollerblading with my brother and sister, listening to Jock Jams and Ace Of Base.

K: The goody bags you get after birthday parties. Why and when did that stop?

#7) Favorite You Tube clip?

B: “Charlie Bit Me”, and if you want to see the best jazz dancing “Prisencolinensinainciusol”

K: To name a few: “Kittens Inspired By Kittens”, and ” So You Cat Wants A Massage?”

We have been quoting “So Your Cat Wants A Massage?” for the past few days.

#8) Favorite pizza topping?

B: Chicken, peppers, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, and Spinach. Basically, the Chicken Florentine at Pizza Hut.

K: 3 words. Bacon, pineapple, and kalamata olives. I recommend this creation at Megabite.

#9) Favorite magazine?

B: It’s a tie: Zink, Interview, V, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar.

K: WAD, and Vice.

#10) Something you’re still trying to find?

B: Justin Bieber

K: She’s not joking.

B: And the perfect pair of jeans!

K: I had my mom as a grade one teacher (yes, it did get awkward). She would read us a book called ” Le Chat Patapouf” (did I mention I was in french immersion?). It was about a

cat, who ate everyone in the village and grew into a giant balloon. I wont ruin the ending. Still trying to find that book.

#11) The Hills, or Jersey Shore.

B: The Hills!

K: That’s like trying to make me pick between my parents!

#12) Twilight, or High School Musical?

B: Twilight for the books, HSM for the movies.

K: None of the above. Pass.

#13) What is the farthest you have ever been away from home?

B: Europe, Rome or Munich- whichever is farther?

K: New York. When I was very little, I went to the 6 Flags there. I have too big of a shopping obsession to afford travels. Fingers crossed for Montreal this summer!!

#14) Beyoncé or Lady Gaga?

B: Lady Gaga!

K: (In a baby voice) Gaga!

#15) Name one female, and one male (dead or alive), that you would like to spend a day with.

B: Marie Antoinette, and Napoleon Bonapart (or Marc Jacobs)

K: Audrey Hepburn, and Alexander McQueen.

#16) If you could hop into a Dolorian, and travel back in time- where would you go?

B: Either the Roman Empire, how cool would it be to be a Roman? Like really, gladiator fights, cool headbands, the Colosseum.. Or 8th Century Paris (pre- revolution), so I can wear sweet wigs, befriend Marie Antoinette, wear huge dresses, and chill in Versailles.

K: Well, as much as I would love to rock the 80′s power suit. I’m going to say Egypt. As long as I was rich. I’m not cut out for pyramid building- I can barely garden.

#17) Favorite T.V show?

B: Dexter

K: The Office

#18) Favorite Will Ferrell movie?

B: Step Brothers

K: Night At The Roxburry, or Anchorman.

#19) Man in a suit, or Casual v-neck and Ray Bans?

B: Man in a suit. Like a good Pin Stripe, skinny

tie, sweater vest, good shoes.

K: Ray Ban steeze casual, for sure.

B: Steeze????

K: You like a man in a suit, you wouldn’t understand.

#20) Your dream rainboot?

B: Tall Hunters, in a Burberry print. Love, love, love Burberry!

K: Short red Hunters, definitely my next pair.

What’s next for the adventures of B & K? Look forward to our future blog posts, and behind the scenes on the next window display!

- Kathryn and Brianna.




Lost Property In Store…Needs a Home

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Many of you pop by say hi and grab your stylish rain gear….however in the excitement of it all, there is often a friend or toy left behind…..We have a wonderful cosy home for them at GumDrops…but we know that Big Bird, the toy car and the rest of their friends would rather be back in your home….so take a look….give us a call (identifying questions may be asked to confirm ownership) and pick them up. If you see something a friend may have left also….email them the link.

If the goodies do not get adopted by the end of May we will be donating them to an appropriate charity (they will be loved there too).

Spring Showers Bring New Store Hours

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

No No, its not an April fools joke…GumDrops will be closed this Monday April 12 for a Team Development day…a refresh and regroup…oh how I love Spring!!!!

We all know that a bikini and boots may not be the next hot look this Summer, so to reflect our local seasonal changes we are pleased to announce an adjustment the Flagship locations Spring/Summer hours…

Monday to Friday we will be opening at 11 am…never fear though with such a short season we will be re-adjusting our hours for the CRAZY back to school season…

If you just so happen to miss us that much and need to get your GumDrops fix we are always open at www.gumdropsonline.com!!!

Enjoy the Spring showers as they bring us the beautiful flowers!!!

Spring Summer Boutique Hours

Spring Summer Boutique Hours

Hunters @ Cost Co….Oh NO!!!

Friday, March 19th, 2010
Hunters at Cost Co???

Hunters at Cost Co???

This is just a little shout out to all the peeps out there who have our back….thank you so much for telling me that Cost Co was selling Hunters!!!! I know I know they were really cheap!!! I found out that they were being sold under cost…and when my supplier looked into it further with distributors, no one was owning up to it!!! Quite funny….perhaps they were the Hunters that were stolen from us late last year….

Oh and just an update on that as well…thank you to all who told me about the Craigs list add…..the police were on it, however the phone numbers and addresses were dead ends…..so it was obviously stolen property…but the police couldn’t even get close enough to seize it..so i dont know how the theives expected to re-sell it….they may have been a sandwich short of a picnic!!!…. I also dont think that they would have VPD’s finest out searching for Gumboots….hehe

But a big thank you to you all who have our backs and keep me in the loop to maintain our product and brand integrity..I really appreciate it…and Amy a big thank you to you too….our next cup of coffee is on me!!

PS Don’t panic and make your way to Cost Co…to nab your cheap pair…they have all been removed…Hunter had to buy them all back!!! Fancy that, they want to keep their own integrity and bought their own products…..

This kinda makes me think of the saying…if it seems to good to be true…it quite possibly is!!!

GOLD has been won at the GumShoe Challenge!!!

Friday, February 26th, 2010

GumShoe Challenge Collage

Blood, sweat & tears were shed as our athletes ran around Yaletown in a frantic search for clues to win a GOLD medal worth $295…and other subsequent medals too…..

GOLD WAS WON BY:

Vickie, who was running as fast as her legs would take her and was ahead by a mile!!!

Adam, with desperation and perspiration running down his face the sign of a true hard working athlete, he won GOLD and made his lady proud!!!

SILVER WAS WON BY:

Nina, who sneakily ran on her lunch break to claim the coveted silver medal!!!

Pamela, who easily strolled along the finish line to claim the men’s second prize, however with another man arriving later we decided to award 2 silver men’s medals…!!!

Christian, who recently moved to Vancouver, had brief case in hand and was determined to make this finish line…many friends had told him the boots will come in handy here in Vancouver!! And that they will!!

BRONZE WAS WON BY:

Britni, stealth and ease was how Britni made the event look as she cam across the line.

A wellie Wanging shoot out (yes sounds weird; definition and rules are below) believe it or not two teams vied for Mens third place. With a photo finish we couldn’t determine who came in third so a shoot out was the only answer!!

With tears of defeat being shed we decided to also award 2 mens bronze medals…..

to Lucia & Charmaine, who were absolute winners and possessed sincerest sportsmanship when having to face each other in the Wang off!!!Kudos to you both!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR ATHLETES!!!

DEF: Wellie wanging, or wellie throwing, is a sport that originated in Britain, most likely in the county of Yorkshire. Competitors are required to hurl a Wellington boot as far as possible within boundary lines, from a standing or running start. A variation requires participants to launch the wellie from the end of their foot as if they were kicking off a pair of shoes.

The World Welly Wanging Championships are held each year during the Summer Gala in the Village of Upperthong in Yorkshire. Welly wanging originated following an incident during which a pint of Tetleys Bitter was accidentally spilt into someone’s welly.

World Wellie Wanging Contest Rules:

  1. Welly wanging is a sport open to all people irrespective of age, sex, race, creed, religion, nationality and colour. And people from Lancashire.
  2. The sport shall be a civilised affair. Fair play, good humour and good manners shall be exhibited at all times.
  3. No umpire shall be needed. A player’s word and their honour shall be sufficient.
  4. Distances shall be measured in yards, feet and inches. None of this European nonsense.
  5. The standard welly shall be the Dunlop green, size 9, non steel toe-cap. Competitors shall select whether they use left or right welly.
  6. No tampering with the welly shall be allowed. Factory finish only. No silicone polish is to be applied.
  7. A maximum run-up of 42 paces shall be allowed. This distance was chosen in memory of Douglas Adams, himself a proponent of the sport.
  8. The run-up shall end with a straight line of 10 feet in length, that being the width of a standard Yorkshire gate.
  9. The welly shall land within the area defined by the straight lines between the Upperthong Gala field and Holme Moss television mast on one side, and on the other by the line between the field and Longley Farm windmill. This playing area is known as the ‘Thong’.
  10. There shall be four categories: Men’s and Women’s, and Boys and Girls (u-14’s)
  11. The welly shall be projected using any action of the arm or foot for the respective categories.
  12. The use of wind assistance is allowed and, indeed, encouraged. Waiting for a suitable gust, however, is limited to one minute. No artificial or man-made wind is to be used.
  13. The winners of the two adult categories at the World Championships shall receive a leg of Yorkshire lamb kindly donated by Brindon Addy the butcher at Hade Edge. The winners shall demonstrate the ethos of Welly Wanging by inviting friends to share the lamb over a convivial Sunday Lunch. Winners of the Children’s category shall receive a crisp five-pound note. They can spend this on anything they like.

Wanging the Wellie

WIN GOLD at the GumShoe Challenge (Ol*&p!cs)!!!

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

GumShoe Challenge (Ol*&p!cs)!!!
With rain dampening the first few days of competition we found may visitors doing the AHA, “now we understand why you call it RAIN-couver.” Lucky for you the crew at GumDrops turned off the rain faucet so everyone could enjoy this beautiful city we call HOME!!! And yes, you are most welcome!!!

However, all good things must to an end…and so will the sunshine; Tues February 23rd the faucets are due to again OPEN!!!

With that being said Vancouverites & visitors alike who LIVE IT and LOVE IT have a chance to WIN GOLD in the GumShoe Challenge (Ol*&p!cs!!!)

How to ENTER on Wednesday February 24, 2010:

11am-12pm
Collect your map for the GumShoe Challenge at:
Waterfront Station
Visitor Information Robson Square
Cnr Robson & Granville
Yaletown Canada Line Station
12pm-1pm
“Athletes” will set out from the main GumShoe podium in Yaletown
Following the map “clues” collect all 3 tickets
The first 3 Women & first 3 Men to present all 3 tickets to officials at the main GumShoe Podium will WIN!!!

1pm-1:30pm

Medal Ceremony!!!

Womens Prizes:
Gold: MoovBoot $295
Silver: Bogs $130
Bronze: Lattitude $65

Mens Prizes:
Gold: Hunter $150
Silver: Bogs $130
Bronze: Tretorn $75

12pm-3pm
All athletes will be able to join those also participate in Wellie Wanging!!!

Whats Wellie Wanging you ask? Wellie Wanging, or Wellie Throwing, is a sport that originated in Britain. Competitors are required to hurl a wellington boot as far as possible within boundary lines, from a standing or running start. A variation requires participants to launch the wellie from the end of their foot as if they were kicking off a pair of shoes.

Official Olympic Apparel will also be available (DON’T MISS IT)!!!

Yes, there has to be some civilized structure to such an intense competition:

  1. The GumShoe Challenge is a sport open to all people irrespective of age, sex, race, creed, religion, nationality and colour. And people from Lancashire who want to win GOLD!!!
  2. The sport shall be a civilised affair. Fair play, good humour and good manners shall be exhibited at all times. Any injuries incurred while in pursuit of GOLD is the responsibility of the participating “athlete”.
  3. No umpire shall be needed. A player’s word and their honour shall be sufficient.
  4. Competition closes at 1pm PST February 24, 2010.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Please Sir, May I Have Some More?

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Who would have thought that the uttering of these words from the mouth of Oliver Twist would have carried through the decades…..

But they have, and this time people are asking for more of our GumDrops Urban Rain Coats……yes the production that we just launched was supposed to last us 5 months (end of our season) unfortunately it only lasted 1 1/2!!!! who would have thunk!!!!

After months of planning, estimating and calculating, we came up with a production number that made sense….past figures, lost sales, anticipated sell through…..gave us the quantity figure we took to our local manufacturer Kloth.

However in the words of Oliver, you want more!!!…….at this point we will not have enough lead time or resources to have any more completed by Christmas……and as a small business, financing and capital are like embedded wisdom teeth…stubborn, and hard to obtain!!! so we are planning on running a line pre-olympics (if all the stars align)…..we will keep you posted on our progress…….

In the meantime, if you have tried on or purchased one of the Urban Rain Coats…please feel free to provide feedback so that we can make them bigger and better next time!!!

Until then…..let the urban professional in you, out!!!! with our Liz Trench Line…..take you from mommy, to meetings, to a night out…..or to meet prince Charles!!!!AES  CHARLES IN VANC#501C44

REWARD FOR INFORMATION We’ve Been Robbed……Burglary Bugger!!!

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Well, this post doesn’t have the same peppy optimistic outlook as my others might however I wanted to let you all know that on Tuesday night our inventory storage was broken into and guess what they took….HUNTERS!!!!!

Not only are they in limited supply from our distributor, the hunters we were storing for the winter have also been reduced to nothing……so I urge you….not to wait get your Hunters NOW!!!

If you buy any hunters or liners from a Vancouver ‘seller’ online I suggest looking at the boxes and seeing if there are any barcode stickers on the side…if so you may have purchased a stolen pair of boots or fleece liners……you may think you have purchased a bargain but know that it could very well be our stolen inventory. If you have the good conscience to tell us the details of the seller so that we may report it to the police…….and there is a reward for anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest.

burglar

Circus Act Saturday!!!

Friday, October 23rd, 2009
The Three Ring Circus at GumDrops

The Three Ring Circus at GumDrops

Today’s blog post has no informational or educational value what so ever. I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank, apologize, and congratulate our customers and staff for getting through what was the biggest day in GumDrops history (yes even Christmas!!!)

To all our customers; who waited patiently to even get acknowledged and taken care of, who then waited in yet another line to purchase their new goodies. I am sure it seemed like a line up at Disneyland….line up after line up….I thank you!!!! And I am sorry!!!

To my GumDrops team; two of whom were barely a week old to the world of GumDrops, who didnt get a lunch or bathroom break for the 10 hours they were running aound the store, who also worked with one man down (getting her wisdom teeth removed & I hope you are feeling better), !!! I thank you for your tireless efforts that day as well as congratulate you for getting through our biggest day EVER!!! I know it was insane and appreciate all your efforts!!!

I would also like to take this opportunity to give a word from the wise (ME)……

We do our best to staff, plan inventory and get ready for the season but when a tornado hits like it did on Saturday (25 % of our monthly sales goal was done in ONE DAY!!!!) we actually become a little hobbled and side swiped…..we do our best to get back up and do it all again….which means that yes there will be sizes missing, inventory severely depleted and new arrivals on their way…..to avoid the yucky feeling of walking away wet, cold and empty handed please think about being a good girlguide (or boy scout) and BE PREPARED!!!!! (even if that means shopping on days that the sun is shining) you know the very next day IT WILL RAIN!!! I guarantee you will leave GumDrops, with the goodies you want, dry feet the next day, and no bruises or scrapes from the boot tugging tournament that will ensue if you “wait until it’s raining”. If you choose to do so I suggest you bring ice, polysporin and some bandaids because it aint pretty!!!

We have over the past 2 year learnt from our challenges and have implemented strategies to avoid your disappointment:

  • Online ordering; instore pick up.
  • Pre-pay; pre-orders (guarantees you get what you want).
  • Merchandise holds  for 24 hours.
  • Custom order fulfilment (requires availability of stock & payment in full prior to ordering)

If you didn’t get the message form this blog we will see you all on our next torrential down pour day!!!! hehe