A fixture in the Olde Towne Okotoks retail scene is closing its doors this month.
Cozy Cottage Interiors has stood on McRae Street since 2011, but owner Laura Budd sold the building and is selling off her inventory, with plans to close by the middle of January.
“It's been a lot of fun, I’ve really really enjoyed it, but it's time to move on for my next adventure,” Budd said.
The business offers home decor and gift items, with a mixture of vintage and new merchandise. It has operated for more than two decades, and has been in Okotoks for the past 13 years.
“I’ve been at it for 26 years,” Budd said. “When I bought the building in Okotoks, I had a Cozy Cottage in Calgary at the same time.”
Budd closed the Calgary location and moved to Okotoks after buying the building on McRae Street.
“I always wanted it to be in Okotoks,” she said. “Basically, when that building came up for sale, that was a dream.”
She plans to stay open until at least Jan. 14 and has to be out of the building by the end of the month, she said.
“I will remain open for customers till at least the 14th, depending on how much inventory I have left,” she said. “It’s selling out pretty darn quick.”
Much of the store's inventory was sourced through Budd's travels across Canada and the United States.
She would especially visit Pennsylvania and Georgia, and gift shops and antique stores across Canada, in her quest to find unique items.
Since she announced she was closing, many longtime customers have come in to say goodbye, she said.
“I'd like to thank everybody for their support, their kindness, the friendship.”
Following the closure, Budd said she will semi-retire and continue selling vintage items at Ella Grace Marketplace in Calgary.
“I’ve always loved Okotoks and will continue living here,” she said.
Moving to a market takes her back to the business's roots, before she had a retail store.
“It's like I've come full circle, because I started my business in a crafters marketplace,” she said.
The new owner is planning to open a business, so the building won’t be empty for long, Budd said.
