Business Spotlight: Upperlane Living

By Max Rausch

EDMONTON — For Megan Lawrence and Donna Tipper, good business is based on good taste, and good taste is based on intuition.

Since the mother-daughter duo opened their shop “Upperlane Living” in 2008, their uniquely personal approach has garnered continued success, even in tough economic times.

“We pick things [to stock] that we’re drawn to, that speak to us, that we have some emotional connection with,” Lawrence said.

Initially conceived as a home décor shop, Upperlane Living is now a diverse gift store, offering everything from home accessories, jewellery, scented oils and candles to baby gifts.

Background

Both women had always an affinity for décor, even though Lawrence’s background is in marketing and her mother was a dental receptionist.

“I think my husband pushed us to make it something tangible and open a store,” Lawrence said.  “He used to say, ‘you should do this full time, because you guys are good at it!’ ”

By the time Upperlane Living opened its doors, however, it was November and hot on the heels of the 2008 economic downturn. Tipper and Lawrence had to adapt on the fly.

“With the economy, people weren’t spending money on themselves anymore,” Tipper observed.  “They were spending money on that little gift for their friend.”

Within a few months, Tipper and Lawrence had broadened their focus while staying true to their inspiration.

“We still kept home décor because that’s where our passion is, but we’ve definitely gone more into the giftware side of things,” Lawrence said.

The Business

To Lawrence and Tipper, the strength of Upperlane Living is in their individuality.

“Honestly, it all comes back to our own tastes and our own preferences,” Lawrence said.  “If we believe in it, and we love it, and we would put it in our own home, we bring that enthusiasm to the sale.”

According to Tipper, the key is relating her own tastes with her customers.

“We would never bring something quality-wise or price-wise that we wouldn’t buy,” Tipper said.

One of Upperlane Living’s hottest giftware items right now is the Vinturi instant wine aerator, which eliminates the need to decant wine before enjoying it. Flame pots—decorative pieces that sustain a flame with fuel inside—are also a popular seller.

There is also a section of the store for baby gifts, of which Padraig slippers are immensely popular. These colourful slippers of sheepskin and wool are just for kids at the moment, but Lawrence says adult sizes are on the way.

“We’ve had so many people say, ‘if you get these in men’s and women’s sizes, I’m coming to buy some,’” Lawrence said.

The Future

In a business where trends are always in flux, Upperlane Living is always changing, even from week to week.

“Every time a customer comes in it looks different,” Lawrence said. “We try and keep it fresh and we’re always flipping it.”

The product line is also continually revolving: in addition to new décor lines arriving for the fall, a fashion section will be added to cater to the female clientele.

“Scarves, toques, mitts, shawls, handbags…just to bring something new and fresh in for people to see,” Lawrence said.

Tipper reinforces her daughter’s view that their unique sense of style will continue to set them apart.

“We’re always trying to stay different than everybody else,” Tipper said.  “So you can come into our store and say, ‘I like this, I haven’t seen it anywhere else.’ ”

Upperlane Living is located at 2508 Guardian Road.