For over 20 years, Present Times has provided the Brantford area with a unique retail experience through strong customer service, offering unique gift ideas and championing local businesses and their products.
Originally opened by her sister-in-law, Ann Marie Lewis took over the business in 2007 and leveraged her strong retail background and entrepreneurial spirit to successfully manage it.
“The original location was on Brant Ave [and] she had the store for about three years, and then her and my brother moved away because of his job. So that’s when my mom and I took it over, [and] moved it up to our current location on Charing Cross,” she said. “As for my career, I was a manager for both the Gap and Roots stores [and] have always enjoyed retail. My dad has also owned a business called ‘Action Plumbing,’ for the last 40 years. So being an entrepreneur is kind in our family and runs in our blood.”
Nevertheless, Lewis explained that one of the cornerstones to the shop is about supporting local, selling a variety of products, especially from Ontario.
“When my sister-in-law had it on Brant Ave., she carried just a smaller variety of things [and also] some of the lines that I still carry today….and her main focus was gift baskets, which is still the case today,” she explained. “We try to support local businesses…some of the lines that we carry are The Scented Market which makes candles out of Guelph. It’s a female owned business, which I love to support. Reids Chocolates is a family business [as well as] Gourmet Village. We also carry Brittles ‘n More which is out of the St. Jacobs area, [and] they make fantastic old-time candy and fudges.”
Another business that Lewis supports is a local one called Walton Wood Farm.
“It’s a spa line. And what they do is a percentage of their profits goes to restoring old barns. Many of these barns are just too costly for the farmers to fix…we are eventually going to be without any old barns [and] we are left with new industrial-looking buildings, but this company has invested into trying to help these farmers [and maintain some of our farming history],” she explained. “Another company that we deal with is the Raw Carrot in Paris. The story behind them is that they hire people who need a second chance in life. We carry their handcrafted soups, [and purchasing them] creates meaningful work in the lives of people facing a host of barriers in life.”
However, one of the most popular aspects of Present Times has been its unique gift basket service.
“Gift baskets are our specialty, and it’s a complimentary service that we offer to our customers. So basically, you can walk around the store and pick out all the items that you want for the gift basket, and then we will wrap it up into a beautiful presentation for you…we do a lot of special events and corporate ones…we have done some for the Grammy’s and currently doing some for Google,” Lewis said. “These baskets are great for recognizing many occasions…we have done ones that celebrate a new baby, a wedding, a new house, or if you are simply thinking of someone. People will give me a few ideas of things they want to see in the basket [and] they’ll give me a budget, and I’ll just create something especially for them.”
While the shop continues to thrive all year because of its loyal client base, Christmas time is its busiest time, attracting new customers seeking unique gifts.
“Right now, we carry music boxes, which are a huge hit with customers. They’re great gifts for your grandmother or daughters…there is a good selection of journals. We also carry a beautiful spa line out of British Columbia. It’s called Warm Buddy. And what you do is you take it and you put it in the microwave. You can then put it on your back, on your shoulders, on your head [and] it gives you a natural heat therapy. They come in a little stuffed animal too,” said Lewis. “We carry puzzles and games like Monopoly, but many that we carry are all themed…like Dog-opoly, Cat-opoly, and Santa-opoly. Then there’s the 60s, 70s, and 80s, -opolies and I have one that’s called Brantford-opoly, which is all Brantford-themed.”
There is also an array of other gift ideas that Present Times carries.
“We carry funky socks because I find many guys are all into wearing those even with their dress suits. I have wind chimes and jewelry, [and] that beautiful spa by Walton Wood Farms. We have ornaments, and we can personalize them all for free, “ she said. “We also have a huge selection of chocolates, candies, and nuts which are set up on two full sections in our store…and of course, that’s a big draw to our story. We now carry a Hilborn Pottery Design which is a beautiful collection and is made in the Cambridge area.”
But at the end of the day, Lewis notes how it’s all about the customers.
“They’re the reasons I wake up every day. I’ve been with them for 18 years, so some of them are like family to me…I think that’s what sets us apart from other businesses…I know about their families…weddings, special events and their losses in their life,” she said. “And my customers are faithful [and] many of them are out there spreading the word about Present Times…which is my best means of advertising and something I’m forever appreciative for.”
