TRURO, N.S.
Belinda McIntyre’s bringing back her family business, with a modern twist.
She’s opened Busy Bee Emporium, an online store that makes deliveries throughout the Truro area.
“When I was growing up, my parents had a corner store, on the corner of Queen and Elm streets, and I always felt there was something special about being there and stocking shelves,” she said. “I saw that they liked working there.
“It’s difficult to run a corner store the way they did now, so I decided to set up an online store. I noticed there were quite a few of them out west and in the U.S.”
After supplies were stocked, the website went live Sept. 29, and McIntyre and a couple of family members began making deliveries.
“A lot of people want snacks late at night,” she said. “If people have a sick child and need medicine, we can bring it. If they don’t have a car, or just don’t feel like shopping, we can bring things to their home, office, hotel or other location. People can order things to be delivered to senior parents or to children who are students in the area.
“We’re selling convenience. We have hours after a lot of places have closed, and we can usually have things to people within an hour, but our prices are competitive. I’m very careful about where to purchase, to keep prices down.”
She also has a 10-year-old son who enjoys helping her find good deals.
Busy Been Emporium offers snacks, basic groceries, personal care products, pet supplies, household items, and even a few unusual items like Star Wars figurines.
There are also postcards bearing inspirational messages, that McIntyre makes herself.
“Mental health is a passion, and I know how encouraging it can be to receive a positive message from someone,” she said.
Deliveries can be made to Millbrook, tax exempt, for those with a status card.
Busy Bee Emporium makes deliveries Wednesday to Sunday, from noon until 3 a.m., covering an area of about 50 square kilometres. Orders can be made up to a month in advance. All payment is made online.
The regular delivery fee is $6, but new customers ordering more than $10 worth of product receive one free delivery and three weeks with $3 delivery fees.
“Some people are surprised to hear what I’m doing because I didn’t really like shopping before,” said McIntyre. “It’s different with this; because it’s my job, I don’t mind shopping.
“I want this business to be fun for everyone.”
More information on Busy Bee Emporium, including products and delivery areas, can be found online at https://busybeeemporium.com/
