Preddy’s Angel Hair and Beauty Supply – Staying Strong on SPR!

For Tashana Preddie, Stony Plain Road kept calling.

Having established a successful salon in 2018 in Brampton, Ontario, Tashana moved to Edmonton in 2022 with inspiration to open another location. She was encouraged with a friends' description of the area as reminding them of Queens Street in Brampton. Commercial units in the area kept popping up during her search to set up shop. "This place [is] perfect," she says about her current location, "with good rent, and a great landlord". This foundation has allowed her to focus her energy on forging relationships with her customers and the surrounding community; as a result she reports things are going quite well for her business today.

An immigrant from Jamaica with 23 years experience as a hairstylist, Tashana is no stranger to working toward her goals.  However, the anxiety and depression she experienced setting her salon up during the COVID-19 pandemic added to the stress associated with forming the new business. Fortuitously, this worked out to her benefit, as she began creating custom hair and body products that she now regularly stocks in-store. Today she offers over twenty (20!) different hand-made body butters, lotions, shampoos and conditioners, beard and scalp oils, and more!

West Valley Line LRT Construction

"Most people are finding it harder to get here," says Tashana, "I have to provide instructions for clients to come down 100 Avenue and up 152nd street (to reach my store)."  Indeed, mid-interview a customer arrives, still feeling a bit bewilderd navigating the fencing outside. Tashana and her laugh, connecting about the inconvenience light-heartedly. While she is appreciative of the additional signage Marigold Infrastructure Partners has placed around the construction site, the repeated conversation of directing clients to her shop is another element for her to manage on top of her regular duties. But, she also recognizes the important connection that the LRT will provide eventually: "I see the future bringing more people to an already diverse area."

Community Connectivity

Tashana recognizes that community dialogue is essential for a prosperous business, hoping to employ more stylists that better visually represent the diverse community that lives around Stony Plain Road, acting as a local hub for it. She notes that "... a more representative [sic] community offers better paths to overcoming cultural barriers," while sharing that she is cognizant of human behaviour and how celebrating identity encourages broader communication.

"I try to walk around and interact with the people in the area, customers and other businesses - I offer my card, explain my store and products, and the other things I carry such as jewelery and accessories; essentially 'spreading the word'," she says.

 

In It For the Long Haul

With a 5 year lease, Tashana expects to be on Stony Plain Road for some time - Noting her desire to expand by hiring more stylists and be more involved in local community events, she's also excited to be one of the newest Big Buck Merchants along Stony Plain Road. She has also opened another business above her own, Complete Caregiving Homecare Services, capitalizing on the multiple years she has worked in a caregiver capacity for family members paired with formal training and certification.

Even if you have a stylist, stop in at Preddy's Angel Hair and Beauty Supply for some product, and meet one of the many business owners along Stony Plain Road with big dreams towards the future.

 

Preddy's Angel Hair and Beauty Supply
preddysangelhairandbeauty.ca
(587) 870-2760
15209 Stony Plain Rd