Staying curious and agile to meet the fast-changing face of retail
By Bruce W. Cole
Kaila Seguin inside her Wellness Market pop-up at STACKT
In most ways, Wellness Market in Windsor, ON is very much like a traditional health food store, offering vitamins, supplements, and some dry grocery items. However, over the eight years she’s owned her business, Kaila Seguin has shown a propensity for doing things that will give her store a little inspirational kick in the pants and offer something new to her customer base.
From a summer pop-up location to the addition of an in-store smoothie and café bar, Kaila has consistently tested new ideas, carving out opportunities that keep her business fresh and responsive.
Small space, big impact
Recently, Kaila came across something she was certain would help her business—but she’d have to be away from her store for a month, spending that time four hours to the east in downtown Toronto at STACKT Market.
STACKT Market is more than a park filled with shipping containers; it’s a dynamic space that brings together a rotation of pop-up shops, small businesses, and vendors to create a vibrant hub of innovation and art—an environment Kaila saw as an opportunity to reach new audiences and learn new approaches.
But obtaining space at STACKT isn’t simple.
“They receive hundreds of applicants every month,” explains Kaila. “In our case, we won a grant. But we had to apply three times! By the third time, we made it to the final group. They interviewed each applicant, and we were one of three business chosen!”
With the first hurdle cleared, Kaila now had to plan on what she wanted to do for her pop-up store. The STACKTx Storefront Grant she received gave her a free one-month lease of an 8 x 40-foot space. She decided the best strategy was to go all in and bring the essence of Wellness Market to the site.
“We installed full shelving, and we brought a full inventory,” she recounts. “We had our POS operating and we set up a till. We really wanted to build our brand in a big way.”
It took her, along with some family and friends, 24 hours to set up the Wellness Market pop-up.
“We were trying to represent our 1,700 sq. ft. store in a 320 sq. ft. space. It was a tight fit.”
Although the grant covered her rent, she said there were still other costs involved, the biggest of which was shelving and paying for a month-long stay at an Airbnb.
To make the most of her opportunity, Kaila chose to work the space herself. While having an owner away from their store for a month could be an issue for some businesses, Kaila had full confidence in leaving everything in the hands of her team. “We have a great staff at our store. Every one of them has a professional designation, either a certified nutritionist, dietician, or health coach.”
To make it all work, Kaila was at the market every day from noon to 8 pm—with a friend spelling her off periodically for about two weeks—all while still managing the ordering for her store.
At the end of her month at the market, Kaila headed back to Windsor with fresh insights.
“We wanted to create more brand awareness in the Toronto community, as our online store serves many areas of Toronto,” explains Kaila. “So, we were able to grow that side of the business. The experience also changed how I promote to community groups, how I build community. Now, I’m doing more community events. I’m also bringing a lot of new ideas home; it was a cool way to meet other business owners.”
New ideas, fresh flavours
This past summer was busy for Kaila. On top of her STACKT adventure, she focused on a new service for her store: a café and smoothie counter called The Wellness Bar.
Calling on her skills and experience as a holistic nutritionist, Kaila created the entire menu herself, something that took about a month and lots of trial and error when it came to taste, consistency, and potency. “Each smoothie has a full dose of supplements, depending on the therapeutic benefit we were crafting it for. For example, the gut smoothie has a full serving of pre- and probiotics, fibre, and L-glutamine,” says Kaila.
The time she spent creating the menu paid off.
“We had an unexpectedly busy summer slinging smoothies! When we were first planning the business, I was expecting to make around 20 drinks a day and was only prepared for that,” says Kaila. “Turns out we were averaging around 100 drinks a day, so I was a little surprised and scrambling until I got the hang of the ordering cadence to keep ingredients stocked.”
Just as she faced challenges at STACKT Market, the addition of The Wellness Bar brought a fresh set of considerations.
“It was challenging to stay within budget and ensure we selected the perfect design elements,” she explains.
Still, the project stayed on schedule, opening in July 2025 after just six weeks from planning to completion.
“It ran smoothly because we stepped into the role of ‘contractor,’ managing and working closely in partnership with our build and design team to keep everything on track,” she explains.
Beyond changes to the space, which included fitting the existing kitchenette with a new quartz counter and upgrading the space with appliances like a high-temperature dishwasher and Vitamix blenders, there were also changes to the team.
“We trained our current staff and hired a few more additional staff,” she says. “The summer was very busy and required two or three staff members.”
One of the most pleasant surprises Kaila’s addition brought was a new group of customers—people who she says normally wouldn’t shop at the store.
“We initially thought our target audience would be those already at our store,” she says. “But our audience has become a completely different demographic. The smoothie bar has brought in a large number of health-conscious gen Z customers who understand the value of premium ingredients and enjoy the aesthetic of the space we have built.”
Diving deeper
STACKT Market and The Wellness Bar aren’t the first ventures Kaila has taken on.
In 2023, she and a partner opened a sauna and cold plunge studio at the back of her store. “It’s a private room meant for a one or two-person experience, where you spend an hour alternating between the infrared sauna and cold plunge,” she explains. “Studio Plunge appeals to fitness enthusiasts and anyone interested in recovery, nervous system regulation, better sleep, and bringing down inflammation.”
Like The Wellness Bar, Studio Plunge has attracted a different demographic. “Wellness Market has always been very women-focused, but Studio Plunge has brought a lot more men into the store,” says Kaila.
It’s been an active two years for Kaila, with no signs of slowing down.
“My goal has been to stay curious, stay agile, and stay connected to my community. I never want the store to feel stagnant. Retail is changing fast, and customers can feel when a business is energized and trying new things. I always want Wellness Market to feel fresh and new. I don’t think you have to overhaul your whole business, sometimes you just need one new idea or one new offering.