the honest version of what's going on in store
i've started this post six times. every version came out too angry or too polished, and neither one felt right. so here's the plain version, the kind i'd tell you if you were standing in the shop with me. and more importantly, here's how you can be part of what happens next.
what's happening
if you've tried to visit us at stackt market lately, you already know it got complicated. toronto is hosting world cup matches this summer, and the market has been running a fan festival on site through july 19. the build-out closed off roughly half the marketplace, barriers went up, and the entrance nearest our shop was blocked.
on match days, the site fills to capacity, and most of those people are inside a gated viewing area, separated from the small businesses this market is built on. thousands of people, steps from our door.
the real numbers
you're the club, so you get the truth. on match days, our in-store sales have dropped between 37% and 100% below normal. yes, 100%. there have been multiple days with $0 in sales, while we carried full employee and rent costs, open and staffed from 12 to 8 like always. on one of those days, more than 17,000 people were on site, just on the other side of a fence.
i won't pretend that isn't scary. this shop is built on my savings, not investors. but here's what december taught us: big crowds can be incredible for this market. the holiday activation was open and sitewide, and it was our best month at ever so this isn't a crowds problem. it's a layout problem. and layouts can change.
what we're doing about it
we've gone to the markets management with our numbers and asked for practical fixes: let viewing-area guests circulate through the marketplace, add re-entry wristbands, and route exits past the shops. those conversations are ongoing, and honestly, the city is alive right now and i love that. we just want that energy to reach the small shops too.
and while we wait, we did what we do best. we made something.
support your local club: a limited capsule designed in the middle of all of it, for every small shop that's ever been hard to find and worth finding anyway. it drops friday, july 10 at 6pm ET. online only, limited quantities, no restock. if you're reading this later, whatever's left is all there will ever be.
this is where you come in
this club has never been about one person. it's a movement of people who feel too much, think too hard, and show up for each other. so here's the rally:
show up. any day, every day. non-match days are the easiest, we're at Stackt tuesday to sunday, 12 to 8. and match days count double: if you're coming down for the football, walk the extra minute, find the marketplace, and bring your people with you. the fan festival crowd is welcome here too, and honestly, we'd love the company.
shop. in person at stackt or shop makers in the beaches, or online at any hour. every single order right now moves the needle for us, and for every small shop on this site.
share. send this post to a friend. post your overthinkers gear and tag us. tell someone the small shops at stackt are open all tournament long. word of mouth is the one thing a fence can't stop.
whatever happens with the rest of this tournament, thank you for being here. we're open, we're stocked, and we're not going anywhere.
you can block an entrance. you can't stop a movement.
marissa
find us in person:
📍 STACKT Market, 28 Bathurst St, Unit 2-104, Toronto
📍 SHOP MAKERS, The Beaches, Toronto
