It’s a cozy 1,100-square-foot space brimming with children’s stuff — clothing, furniture, sporting equipment, toys, books, games, electronics and more. Most of it is gently used and on consignment, and some of it is new, but 100 per cent of it is thoughtfully curated and presented by Nicole Kamel, owner of Twice as Nice on St. Clair Avenue.
Nicole has been living in the Wychwood Heights community for more than 10 years. For seven of those years she was a frequent consigner to the store, bringing in her children’s gently used clothing and toys. When the opportunity presented itself to purchase the store, she jumped at the chance to own her own business. Since she was familiar with the shop and its business concept, she put in an offer. It took a few months of negotiation, but on April 1, 2014, Nicole became the owner of Twice as Nice. Since then, she has dedicated herself to reorganizing the merchandise and has been successful in attracting a broader range of customers.
“We’ve quadrupled the number of consigners in six months,” says Nicole. “People are listening, people are eager to participate. It’s a key indicator that it’s working.”