RJ Eccles is a veteran hairdresser who has spent 30 years perfecting his craft, but when people visit Shop Chop, the downtown salon and gift shop he co-owns with his business partner Prudie Anderson, one compliment stands above the rest.
“I get an ego boost when someone comes in and is like, ‘I love your store,’” he says.
Make no mistake — he likes it when people are happy with their haircuts too, but after three decades in the business, he feels confident in his hairdressing skills. Retail, on the other hand — that’s newer terrain.
Eccles and Anderson owned and operated their salon for twelve years before adding the “shop” to Shop Chop in 2016. The change gave them a chance to reimagine what the space could be.
“When we decided to open the store, we basically had a blank canvas,” says Eccles. “We went to a few trade shows all over Canada and in the States to see what our options were. In the end, we talked to somebody who had been in the business. The first thing they said to us was, ‘Sell things that you like.’”
That’s exactly what they’ve done. With merchandise that toes an elusive line between cute and trendy, the space features a front room packed with unique items — strawberry-patterned mugs, dog-bust planters, hollowed-out books that serve as secret boxes. And while trends have changed over the last near-decade — pins have given way to stickers, unstructured, embroidered “dad” hats have become popular — one thing hasn’t: the shop’s casual vibe.
“We’re not selling luxury items,” Eccles says. “We try and bring in fun things that you often can’t find other places.”
Eccles also has a “no-pressure” sales rule, allowing customers to browse the space freely.
“If I’m cutting hair and someone comes in to shop, I’m like, ‘Hey, you’ve got the place to yourself,’” Eccles says.
The salon is tucked away at the back of the shop, behind glass panels and shelves of glassware. Though functionally separate, the two spaces have a symbiotic relationship.
“When you’re shopping, you experience secondhand what’s happening in the salon, and as hairdressing clients are paying, they see that interaction between the staff and the clients.”
Salon clients naturally peruse the rows of earrings or tiny ceramic dishes on their way through the shop and often find unexpected treats.
Eccles says, “Nine times out of 10 when you ask someone, ‘Are you looking for something?’ They say, ‘I came here to buy a gift — but I bought myself five things.’”
