Nutters health food store opening in downtown Kamloops
The doors of a new health food store in downtown Kamloops are about to open after a long wait and a lot of elbow grease.
Nutters Everyday Naturals took over the large former Value Village space in the 400 block on Seymour Street in January, 2021.
“We are going to start with a soft opening this weekend and do a grand opening next month,” said co-owner Sara Sims.
It has taken a lot of work for Sims and her husband to get the building ready for business, and a lot more time than they first expected.
The couple have had to deal with supply shortages, major surcharges on shelving and backordered stock, but they are finally filling the shelves with a plan to open Oct. 2.
“A lot of variables have made it difficult to get to an opening date,” she said. “It has been very busy. Obviously we want to open up with full shelves.”
Nutters Everyday Naturals is a western Canadian company in operation in the health food retailing industry since 1982. It is the first of its kind in the tournament capital and the first business Sims and her husband have operated.
“We are health-minded people with three young kids we are raising as healthy as possible,” Sims said. “We were looking for opportunities, learned about the brand and felt it was a great fit for us as we share the same values about health and want to provide those to the community.”
The space has required the installment of a lot of fixtures, extensive shelving units, paint and repairs to transform it into a bright, spacious food retail store with urban design elements.
One challenge the pair haven’t faced is a lack of interested job applicants.
“We are fortunate,” Sims said. “We have had lots of amazing applicants. We are attracting a great group of people interested in health and wellness.”
The store is carrying lots of natural and organic groceries and personal care products plus an extensive selection of quality vitamins and supplements.
There are keto-friendly offerings along with gluten-free options, vegan and dairy free alternatives and fresh produce.
“We provide for all kinds of specialty diets along with a produce department with local and organic produce, and are carrying some brands that are not found in other local stores.”
Sims said she is getting lots of encouraging feedback from the community.
“We have lots of people trying to open the doors when we are working asking when we are opening,” she said. “There is definitely a lot of excitement about it.”
After the soft opening Sims is going to iron out any kinks that come up and finalize all of the staff training.
A daily and weekly schedule for the future has not been determined yet.
The soft launch on Sunday is scheduled for 10 a.m.
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