Locals Turned Entrepreneurs: Simply Green Baby
Since opening 10 years ago on Bronte Rd, Simply Green Baby has been a go-to shop for finding eco-friendly baby and children’s products. The Bronte BIA interviewed owners and sisters Ann and Liz Tran about their business and their love for Bronte.
How long have you been in Bronte?
“We’ve lived here for a while; I was born and raised in Bronte,” says Liz. Both Ann and Liz grew up in Bronte and know the area well. They are one of the longest lasting businesses on Bronte Rd since the area started to develop over a decade ago.
What inspired you to start your business?
“The inspiration to start our business came from us having kids and wanting to have products that were safe for them as well as thinking about the long term – what we are doing to protect the environment. When our kids were born, we found ourselves spending nights searching on the Internet to look for [eco] products and often would have to get them shipped in from the US. Instead, we thought it would be better to open this store and see where it goes from there”
What services/products can customers expect to find at your store?
Ann says, “One of the biggest pluses being here is that we have such supportive customers in the area. Often, we see grandparents come in and they’re sent here by their daughters or their daughter-in-laws and they have no idea what eco-friendly products are. So, we walk with them and show them the products that we carry and explain to them how they are eco. Pretty much offering 1-on-1 customer service. Liz adds that the focus is on educating the customers on toxic versus eco-friendly products.
Ann explains that their products are mainly split into three categories: Toys are 50%, about 40% is baby stuff and then 10% is cleaning and houseware products that are baby related, such as non-toxic shampoo, detergent, dishwashing soap, even containers. “We want to provide products that can be used around the house, so not only products for babies, but products that are multi-functional and can carry on to when they are toddlers and even older kids.”
In terms of where the products are sourced from, Ann says “We focus on, where we can, Canadian-made products. If we can’t find products that are made in Canada, we often support Canadian entrepreneurs. We tend to carry smaller companies that focus on the eco-environment and the impact on the environment. So, the majority of the products that you see in our store are Canadian brands, they may import stuff from somewhere else, but the designs and the concepts are from Canada.”
They also offer free delivery for all Oakville and Burlington customers. Ann says “It does not matter the amount of their order, if they do not want to come to the store, we will deliver it to them.”
What is your vision for the future of Bronte?
“If we are looking from [Bronte] towards places like Toronto and Etobicoke. Bronte, from what we have been told, is under-developed in terms of opportunities because most of the other areas are mature and a lot has already been done. Whereas here there are so many opportunities to do more,” says an optimistic Ann on the future of the area. “The way they have done the harbour here is so beautiful; people from all around drive down to see it. Being Bronte locals, we never thought that Bronte would be the place to go sight-seeing, so it’s exciting to see other people coming to the area.”
Ann states that there is an opportunity to attract people to Bronte beyond the harbour. “There are good restaurants but there could always be more.” A farmers’ market would be ideal. People have been talking about a farmers market for years but nobody could do anything about it, so if someone can do something about it that would be awesome.” Overall, both Ann and Liz think that the future of the area should focus on creating opportunities for people to look forward to come down to Bronte every weekend.