Rychelle Tuck was just 22 years old when she bought the business Gift Basket Gallery, a 124th street gift shop. Tuck wanted to go into business and fell in love with the charming store front, but gift baskets, she admits, were not her strong suit.
“Anyone who reads this, who got a gift basket from me back then: I’m sorry. I did my best,” Tuck says with a laugh.
When a space became available on High Street in 2005, Tuck jumped at the opportunity to pivot her business to women’s clothing. She was passionate about fashion and was excited about the move, but her dad, a successful business owner in his own right, advised her against it.
“He’s like, ‘Clothing is a fickle business. You know, it’s gonna be tough to make any money.’” She did it anyway, rebranding as Red Ribbon Boutique and shifting the shop’s focus. The move, it turns out, was a good one. “Once we moved, we were doubling and doubling sales every month. It was just getting better and better and better and better.”
Today, it’s a local institution, selling clothing, gifts and self-care products for women and men. The shop focuses on elevated basics, locally made gifts and minimalist jewelry, meticulously merchandised and organized. The store has a high-end feeling, but the clothing and home goods on offer are accessible and well-made. Tuck has curated a selection of gifts that make shopping for gifts — or yourself — easy.
Despite Red Ribbon’s success, Tuck hasn’t opened a second location. She’s kept Red Ribbon local — not just to Edmonton, but to Westmount.
“I love this area. This is the only place I wanted to be in the city,” says Tuck. “There’s a huge loyalty to this neighbourhood, and it’s very walkable.”
So when inventory had the High Street store bursting at the seams, Tuck waited for the perfect location to open up — and one did, just across the street. At 6,000 square feet, it felt like a huge jump to Tuck. To match the growth of her business, she decided to expand her team.
She turned to Andie Chibri, who had previously worked part time for Tuck in 2014 designing the shop’s window displays.
“I did not have a position available at all at the time,” Tuck adds. “But I met Andie and I was like, ‘I need her.’ I made a position for her.” Eight years later, after some time away from the business raising her family, Chibri re-joined Red Ribbon.
As Tuck tells it, “I basically said, ‘I do not know what I’m doing. This is a huge jump.’” Chibri said she was happy to come back and work for the business, but Tuck made her a better offer. “I was like, ‘Instead of working for me, why don’t you come be my partner?’”
The pair haven’t looked back since. “Our strengths and weaknesses complement each other,” says Chibri. “When Rychelle offered me the partnership, I felt like it was something I couldn’t turn down. It’s a dream job, truly.”
Over decades and different locations, Red Ribbon has remained remarkably consistent. Many of the staff have been with the store for years and shoppers return again and again to the shop.
“The people of Edmonton are phenomenal. The city feels small in a good way,” Tuck adds. “I always feel lucky.”
Red Ribbon Boutique
Westmount | 12520 102 Ave NW, Edmonton | redribbon.ca
