There is a new pop up shop open in the ByWard Market, located inside of a shipping container.
Stactx is a new venture designed to accelerate small business by providing resources and a physical retail space.
Stackt is a market in Toronto, consisting entirely out of shipping containers. The brand is expanding to include container-based shops first in Ottawa, followed by locations in Calgary and Vancouver. The expanded Stacktx will be giving away more than 48 grants within their new pop-up locations, each offering a free 1-month lease.
“This is a great opportunity for a business to go test retail and see if that’s something they like and want to sign into a long term lease after that,” Stackt Founder Matt Rubinoff tells CTV News Ottawa.
The container is located on George Street in the ByWard Market.
“Here for a year and every month we’ll have a new brand new small business that will be within the unit,” says Rubinoff
The first shop to launch is called “The Gift Shop,” an interactive and immersive art-based pop-up.
“Right now we’re working with 22 different artists, half are visual artists, half are performance artists. So we’re going to be having concerts and paint nights and business workshops for the artists to learn more about how to be entrepreneurs,” says Imani Dominique Busby with the Gift Shop.
The Gift Shop will be open until July 19, with other businesses featured in the months ahead.
The ByWard Market is also home to another shipping container-based program operated by Immigrant Entrepreneur Canada, which is located on York Street.