A year into the pandemic and Nancy’s Nifty Nook Health & Bulk Food store is still going strong with much of her sales circulating around immune-boosting products and supplements.
Nancy Young has owned the health and bulk food store for over 30 years, selling a variety of supplements, vitamins, spices, baking essentials, gluten free baked goods and products, natural cleaning remedies, personal hygiene items, skin and hair care products, and teas.
Located at 152 Holland St. East, the store was structurally updated last year to accommodate Covid-19 safety regulations including changes to the ‘scoop’ system with her bulk bins and enhanced sanitization procedures.
The store has been offering curbside pick up and Young shares she has been quite ‘strict’ when it comes to allowing customers travelling from outside Simcoe County’s red zone into the store.
“I won’t allow anyone from the lockdown regions into the store,” stipulates Young, noting that she is older and does not want to be exposed to any Covid variants. “It’s too bad for my regulars, but the rule is clear. I like my sales, but I like my health more.”
Young notes Vitamin D, C, and Zinc are still popular sellers within the store and she has used the downtime during lockdown to switching the remainder of her stock over to Canadian products.
“I’m trying to weed out the products that are US and replace them all with Canadian products,” explains Young. “It’s really important to support people who do buy Canadian… it’s so, so important! I used to have a good hair line from the US but all of a sudden they stopped sending products. So, I switched to a Canadian product from Toronto. Why wouldn’t you support a Canadian company?”
Nancy’s Nifty Nook is a unique health and bulk food store in Bradford and carries many lines of products not common in larger chain stores.
The store also sells fresh honey and a variety of gluten free baked goods such as muffins (with over 15 different flavours), cookies, cakes, pies, squares, and quiches. Young's most popular baked goods are quinoa chocolate cake, carrot cake, and banana cake.
“They just fly out the door," says Young.
The bulk store sells specialty items such as gluten free flour mixture and gluten free pie shells and pre-made cauliflower pizza dough rolled out and ready for sauce and toppings.
“It tastes like normal,” says Young about her gluten free goods and healthy food options. “You would never know the difference!”
Young says since Covid, many people are thinking healthier and want to buy more local products which sparked the idea to start using more Canadian suppliers.
“People really like the fact we are trying to support Canadian companies,” says Young. “It’s so important for people to shop local too. We need to support the little guys… it’s hard for us."
The store also carries its own natural, safe hand sanitizer, 'So Popular', which is non-alcohol based. Young says she had trouble keeping the product in stock at first because of its popularity among parents for not drying out the hands of children. Young has been using the product since SARS and offers a ‘refill program’.
“We’ve been sanitizing since SARS,” notes Young. “If customers don’t sanitize before entering the store, they can’t use my bins… I’m trying to protect you and the customers.”
Young is particular about which brands of vitamins and supplements she carries, and encourages customers to consult with her to choose the right ones.
“We’re very lucky that we’ve got really good suppliers in Canada and a lot in Ontario,” adds Young. "If you’re going to buy supplements, go to a reputable health food store."
Young used to be a teacher in Bradford for over two decades and taught family studies and music. When she purchased the health food store back in 1988, she took her knowledge in baking and nutrition and applied it to her new business while broadening her knowledge in the health food industry.
“We’ve really changed our store a lot,” explains Young. “And I can’t stress that enough – shop Canadian and shop local!”
Young has free recipes on her website (www.nancysniftynook.net), and changes them up depending on the time of year.
“I’ve got some fun ‘green’ recipes coming soon (for St. Patrick's Day)," says Young.
Nancy’s Nifty Nook has been hosting monthly draws, giving away prize baskets of select items donated from her suppliers.
At the end of this month, one lucky winner will receive a basket full of supplements from one of Young’s suppliers, 'Can Prev'.
“I needed to do something that makes people feel good,” says Young. “My suppliers are very good at giving me baskets of free products to give away."
The store’s hours have changed slightly and are now open Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
