Cindy’s Home and Garden

By Angie Landsverk

A Destination for Shopping, Food, and Fun

What began as a flower stand 35 years ago has grown into a business that includes gifts, garden items, gourmet food, a fashion boutique, and much more.

Ken and the late Cindy Martin opened Cindy’s Flowers in 1989. “Cindy always had a love for flowers and gardening, so when they pur­chased the property, they decided to erect some hoop houses and started growing plants,” said their nephew, Jason Martin.

“Kingsville is Canada’s most southern town, located on the north shore of Lake Erie. It is a bustling town with a classic turn-of-the-century feel,” Jason said. “The region has developed a top wine region in Canada, and the mild climate provides a long tourism season. Kingsville boasts a long list of award-winning restaurants and, with the help of Cindy’s, has been awarded the best regional shopping district for four consecutive years.”

What They Sell

Cindy’s Home and Garden has evolved a great deal since opening in 1989. Today, the business carries numerous product cat­egories, including home décor, gifts, fashion, jewelry, accessories, items for men and children, memorials, gourmet products, kitchen, garden accents, concrete statuary, annual and perennial plants, tropical plants, winter greens, and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting bar.

Their typical customers are women aged 40 and up. And Jason said people travel from as far away as a 1.5-hour drive to visit Cindy’s.

He said customers love their business and describe it as an amazing place. “Our social media success and reviews show that,” Jason said.

What sets their customer service apart from other stores? Jason said it is the lengths they go to make things right for their customers. “From after-hour deliveries (especially during the COVID-19 pan­demic), custom gifts, personal shopping assistance … we do a lot,” he said.

Jason said the special things they do for customers include their in-house Cindy’s Rewards program. It offers customers rebates and special promotions. “Plus, we do free wrapping and are always going above and beyond to make our customers happy,” he said.

Numerous events take place at the store. He said they hold something just about every month, and some months, there are multiple events. They have summer night markets, Christmas mar­kets in the greenhouses, a fashion show, foodie events, and more.

In addition, Cindy’s has an online store. Jason said they ship everything from their location in Kingsville.

Their Success, Connections

Jason said there are many things that make their business successful. Among them are the variety of products they offer, their staff, and the feeling of them being a big family. People are proud to talk about how they are Cindy’s customers, he said.

Cindy’s stands out from other gift shops in the area. “There is no store like ours,” Jason said. “It truly is a one-stop shop for any occasion.”

Like any business owners, Jason and Tisha have faced some challenges since taking over Cindy’s. “Really the main challenge was COVID-19 hitting us the first year we were sole owners. The Canadian shutdowns and subsequent supply chain issues and increased costs have been the biggest obstacles,” he said. “We’re now dealing with a slow economy due to inflation. We are man­aging as best we can by being innovative with our marketing and doing strategic promotions.”

When it comes to marketing strategies, Jason said they are excellent at social media, and their organic reach is incredible. “Our videos are viewed a lot, and it really creates a buzz and urgency for our customers,” he said.

Cindy’s is also connected to the community. “We bring many visitors to Kingsville every day,” Jason said. “We sponsor many charities, charitable events, and we sponsor numerous sports teams, etc.”

Jason said they are thankful for 35 years of support from the community. “We work hard every day to bring something good to everyone who comes in,” he said.

His advice for those who have recently opened a store is to “really watch your inventory” in the current economy. “Don’t take chances and stick with what you do best. And do that every single day,” he said. “But always remember you can be the reason someone has a great day.”

When asked what he likes best about what he does, Jason said, “Seeing people smile when they come in and marvel at all we have to see and do here.” He said they are proud to be the local retail industry leader.

“Everyone tries to emulate what we do, but we always do it best,” Jason said. “At the end of the day, our customers see the effort we put in, and they appreciate it.”