One Sixty One

‘Sassier than the average gift shop’: One Sixty One

With an ever-changing roster of artisans, Valerie Simpson’s downtown Paris market One Sixty One truly has something for everyone.

Valerie Simpson, owner and curator of One Sixty One in downtown Paris, Ontario.

If there’s one thing Valerie Simpson is sure of, it’s that the corporate world isn’t for her. The Cambridge resident has had an entrepreneurial streak since her childhood – one which was rich in lemonade stands and amateur business ventures. And as she got older, her craving for the be-your-own-boss lifestyle only grew. In the early 2010s, while still working a job in the medical retail sector, she started selling homemade dog cookies at trade shows and wholesale to retailers – her first “official business” she called it.

The venture went further than she thought it would, and she found herself stocking the treats on shelves as far away as Stratford. It wasn’t long before her and her husband realized she could go “all the way” – meaning open a standalone business of her own.

In February 2018, Simpson decided she’d go for it. She ditched the day job and got to work launching the shop she’d been dreaming of for years. Rather than selling to other businesses, she’d be the business showcasing products from other small businesses.

The result is One Sixty One, a curated artisan market with an ever-changing roster of sellers, handpicked by Simpson.

When the store started out – then based in a very small space in Cambridge – there weren’t many shops doing what she set out to do.

“It was a bit of a newer concept,” she said. “In 2018 there wasn’t a ton of artisan markets like this – and of course, they’ve grown, there’s almost one on every street corner kind of thing now – but there wasn’t a ton then.”

Simpson says the increase in competition has only driven her to hone-in on the identity of One Sixty One – which is now located at 27 William Street in Paris – by building a cohesive brand and curating items that stick to it.

Simpson is meticulous when choosing which products to carry, and she’s grown to know what will be popular. The store accepts new applicants quarterly, which results in a regular change in merchandise.

The Refillery, a one-stop station for filling and refilling reusable containers with various self-care, cleaning and other household products.

Simpson does have a few favorites. Namely the wide selection snacks and the various products available at the refillery, a station for filling reusable containers with a wide variety of self-care, cleaning and household commodities.

Simpson says the refillery is a great place for eco-friendly shoppers to “save a bit of money and a bit of plastic,” all in one place.

The products in the refillery are also sourced from a small business called Green Cricket, based out of Etobicoke.

“There are some bigger name refill options around, but this was a mother and daughter that started the company,” she said.

A story that Simpson loves to tell is how the store got its name.

One Sixty One is a Canadian twist on the 100-mile store, a retail concept where all merchandise is sourced within 100 miles of the shop. Simpson simply converted the distance to metric, equaling 160.93 kilometers – which is then rounded up to one-sixty-one.

While not all of Simpson’s sellers are in an exact 160.93-kilometer radius – many more-distant artisans were introduced during the pandemic – she remains committed to selling from small businesses, selling Canadian and (when she can) keeping it local.

If there’s one thing One Sixty One is the place to buy, it’s a greeting card. Simpson has curated a vast collection of humorous and thoughtful cards for every occasion, from a number of different creators. She loves to hear the giggles of customers who check out the card wall at the far back of the store.

“We’re a little sassier than the average gift shop,” she said.

Simpson says she’s always surprised how fast the cards sell.

When she was first installing the card shelves before her store opened, a seller came in to drop off his products. He told Simpson that he was sure the cards would be the store’s best seller. She was skeptical, but the seller ended up being right.

“Consistently, cards, every single month, is my top category,” she said. “You always need a card.”

Simpson’s favourite part about running her store is helping customers find the perfect gift.

A few years ago, during the holiday season, a man came in looking for a Christmas gift for his brother – he had no idea what he was going to get him. The man told Simpson just two things about his brother: he’s a Leafs fan and he works outside. Simpson walked him around the store and plucked a few items from the shelves.

The two brought the items up to the till where Simpson’s husband was waiting.

He rung up a Toronto Maple Leafs cold pack, a snack, and a funny mug. The man left with a smile on his face.

“How do you do that,” Simpson’s husband asked?

“It just comes naturally,” she said.