SAS Home and Floral Boutique opened their doors in Martensville in November of 2011 and since then, they have seen steady growth and increased support from the community, as well as the surrounding region. With a wide variety of products available such as home décor, giftware, fresh florals, plants and more, SAS also does floral design for everyday occasions, weddings, funerals and events.
Like many other business owners, Teresa Helperl and Joelle Ward faced some uncertainty in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. “During the two-month shutdown, it was a very uncertain time not knowing if we would be able to keep our business afloat without having customers come through our door. We were very surprised and grateful to receive an incredible amount of support during that time with many curbside pickups and deliveries both on the floral side and the retail side,” Helperl said.
With many weddings and events either cancelled, postponed, or downsized since March of last year, the sisters felt the impact on their business; however, they worked with their customers to either modify plans, or reschedule, and are looking forward to this season’s weddings which will be a combination of those postponed from last year, as well as new ones.
While shut down and relying on online shopping options, Helperl and Ward saw that this was playing a much bigger role in their ability to reach customers. “We started off using our Facebook and Instagram to market our products but realized we needed to begin the process of designing a website that would feature both our floral and store product to customers not only in our community but across Canada. We knew we needed a new look that would represent the actual look and feel of our store for those that couldn’t come in, whether that was for pandemic reasons or because of their location,” Ward explained. Along with the new website, SAS Home and Floral Boutique also has a new logo, which they state represents the simple, modern feel of their store.
As new product comes into the store, it will now be added to the website for local customers to preview prior to visiting the store, or for customers to order online for pickup or shipping across Canada. “Obviously, this really widens our customer base beyond those who live close enough to come and see us in person,” Ward added.
The previous website was a Teleflora run site, which featured Teleflora designs instead of the custom creations at SAS. Now customers ordering can get a sense of the personal boutique style shop and the custom design work, and can confidently choose the style and size that best suits their occasion, as well as add retail product such as chocolates, bath bombs or candles to accommodate their floral order. Brides can also now fill out an online questionnaire to receive a quote for their wedding flowers without having to do an in-person consultation.
This may be the newest excitement at SAS; however, there have been many other highlights over the years for Helperl and Ward. Hosting our Customer Appreciation Nights on our anniversary in November each year is always a highlight where we can celebrate with our customers, thank them for their support and reflect on the past year,” Helperl said. Additionally, the sisters both look forward to the outdoor container classes that they have held every November-December for the past 7or 8 years.
One of the biggest highlights for SAS Home and Floral Boutique was being awarded the WMBEXA Business of the Year in 2018.
For more information on SAS Home and Floral Boutique, or to view their online store, visit www.sashomeandfloral.ca.
