Roxane: First, tell me a bit about your background.
Karine: I studied visual merchandising in college. Early on, I worked as a visual coordinator for retail chains. Later, I became a visual supervisor and then visual director, still for various banners. I was also a buyer at one point in my career. But the desire to work for myself and create my own business was always there! I basically grew up on a convenience store counter! My parents owned a dépanneur with a gas station attached to our house… so I think it’s just in me! ;)
R: What motivated you to open your own boutique?
K: Like I said, I think it runs in the family! ;) In 2019, I decided to work for myself as a visual merchandising consultant. Things were going really well, but I still had this dream of opening my own storefront, my little cozy space. I didn’t want to work in shopping malls anymore! I was dreaming of a small, soulful local shop where you take the time to get to know your customers. That’s super important to me. And then one day, totally by chance, I came across the perfect space… and just like that, I opened my store within two months! It’s wild when I think back on it. Goes to show—everything happens for a reason! ;)
R: How do you choose the brands or products?
K: Simple, I go with my gut and my favorites! For anything like accessories, body care or decor, I always look for Québec-based brands to showcase. And even then, I only bring in brands I truly love!
R: What’s your current favorite?
K: OMG that’s such a hard question!!! I have so many favorites, but we just brought in a few items from Moi d’abord and I’m obsessed with the mugs. They’re way too cute!! And also, I recently ordered your Pineapple Cilantro mist and I’m completely hooked! I spray it everywhere!!!
R: What kind of clientele shops at L’APPART CINQ? Has it evolved since the beginning?
K: Our main clientele is made up of women working in nearby offices. We call them our “lunch hour crowd”! And thanks to word of mouth, that clientele has just kept growing over the past three years. We also have a really lovely tourist clientele! And for many tourists, once they discover us, they’ll either order online later or make a point to visit us again every time they come back to Québec City.
R: Are there any new or exciting things coming up for APPART CINQ?
K: My business is growing steadily! We’ve had some really nice growth and I like to keep things moving at a safe, gentle pace. We’ve been bringing in new brands lately and expanding our product selection. But what’s really exciting is that soon, in collaboration with your wonderful brand, we’ll be launching our own little line of products under our label! We’re so excited about it!! ;)
R: And finally, my classic usual question: what’s your favorite Flambette fragrance?
K: It’s no secret—I’m obsessed with pineapple + cilantro!! But I’m also crazy about raspberry + vanilla!... And you know, soon we’ll have our own labeled line, so I’ll probably have *way* too many favorites!!! ;)
Thank you so much, Karine! We’re so happy to be part of L’APPART CINQ’s offerings and we can’t wait to keep collaborating more and more ✨
