A locally owned retail market for goods and gifts called Pop Local is opening a retail space at The Waterfront Vancouver’s RiverWest building with a planned launch date in September.
Owner Jessica Chan launched a crowdfunding venture to help raise money to open the shop. As of Wednesday afternoon, Chan had raised about $3,000 toward a flexible goal of $5,000. Part of the draw for crowdfunding included special gifts and a chance for donors’ names to be engraved in a tile for the store’s interior display.
“We want to get the community involved,” said Chan. “It will be a place that really highlights local culture. Shoppers will get to know the stories behind the local brands here.”
The tenant renovations for the space at 111-131 Grant St. will total about $50,000, according to the Indiegogo fundraiser.
The shop’s spot in RiverWest sits on the west side of the building in a 2,400-square-foot space. It will sell mostly locally made items such as soaps, snacks, clothing, cutting boards, hot sauces and more — bringing more diversity to The Waterfront Vancouver’s offerings, which mostly consist of wineries, banks and restaurants. Kafiex Gastro Pub cafe opened a location in the RiverWest building in April, and a milkshake bar is on its way to the Rediviva building.
Pop Local began as the Vancouver Night Market in 2017, when Chan hosted it at WareHouse ’23 until the pandemic restrictions forced its closure. Chan opened Pop Local at 111 W. Ninth St. in downtown Vancouver last year and found success in the spot until she signed a lease for the RiverWest building.
The new shop will be about double the size of the downtown location, and it will feature many more plants, snacks, food and beers to be consumed off-premises, Chan said. The former location is no longer open, she said.
Mike Bomar, Port of Vancouver director of economic development, wrote in a statement that Pop Local and Vancouver Night Market “have attracted high-quality local vendors who benefit from Founder & Owner Jessica Chan’s amazing ability to bring many diverse products together while creating an ambiance and experience that draws a big crowd.”
