OBSESSIONS was originally founded in 1988 in the trendy area of Earls Court, London England. A small boutique store offering a unique selection of personal and home accessories.
The Vancouver store was founded in February 1998 by Mark Kenna, who arrived in Canada from England with a dream of introducing distinctive gift products to Vancouver and OBSESSIONS quickly made its mark.
Starting with a modest kiosk selling funky watches, men’s and ladies accessories, the kiosk success led to the expansion of two additional kiosks within three months. By June 1998, OBSESSIONS opened its first full-fledged store on Denman Street, and by 2006, it had grown to four locations throughout downtown Vancouver.
Often voted ‘Vancouver’s Best Gift Shop’ now a beloved icon in the heart of Vancouver, it is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
“We are incredibly grateful to our loyal customers and dedicated team who have supported us throughout the years,” said Kenna. “Reaching this 25-year milestone is a testament to our commitment to providing a unique shopping experience and our passion for sourcing unique, quality and affordable products. We look forward to continuing to serve our community and welcoming both new and returning customers to experience what makes Obsessions truly special.
Since its inception, OBSESSIONS has evolved from a small kiosk at Pacific Centre Mall into one of the city’s most recognized and award-winning gift stores, establishing itself as a premier destination for unique, affordable and high-quality gifts.
The company was an instant success when it first started in Vancouver, growing from one small kiosk in Pacific Centre Mall, downtown Vancouver to four street locations within five years plus a vibrant ‘Corporate Gift Division’ plus an online website.
“Unfortunately the company was hit hard by the world wide recession some years ago and an unforeseen government construction project outside one of the company’s stores which inhibited consumer access both led to the company being downsized then subsequently being purchased by a new business partner with the co-operation of Mark Kenna who still manages and purchases the stores gift items,” says the company on its website.
“Despite the company’s ups and downs, this store is considered one of Vancouver’s premier gift stores often winning annual awards for ‘Best Gift Shop’. The company has one prime location in the centre of town on the corner of Dunsmuir and Howe Street, and is comfortable with no intention of expanding except for a new website with the ability to buy online. The ‘Corporate Sales Division’ continues to also thrive and increase annually. Providing first class customer service to its many loyal shoppers and greeting many new ones each day and each season as the tourists come and go…after 28 years in business this robust, hardy and unique company intends to be around for many more years to come.”
Today, it operates from its prime location at the corner of Dunsmuir and Howe Street, continuing to offer a curated selection of exceptional gifts plus design-led personal and home accessories. Also known for its engraving facility, with fast turnaround times—often as little as 24 hours—it boasts no minimum order requirements, setting it apart from many competitors.
OBSESSIONS offers an exclusive selection of pens and art supplies by the Swiss manufacturer ‘Caran d’Ache’, also the Swiss made line of watches ‘Mondaine’ and the hugely popular line of plushies by ‘Jellycat’ from the UK. It also supports many Canadian designers such as Pixie Mood and Matt and Nat bags and wallets plus much, much more including a fantastic collection of cards and gift wrap. Whether it be Christmas, Valentines, Mothers Day etc. OBSESSIONS is ‘the ’ go-to’ destination for gifts for every occasion. In recognition of its outstanding service and unique offerings, OBSESSIONS has repeatedly been awarded ‘Best Gift Shop’ in annual city-wide awards. Despite its success, the company remains committed to its core location and high-quality, personalized service, with plans to enhance its online presence through a new website, allowing ‘Corporate’ customers to shop from anywhere.
“We’re located in the downtown core so we have the office workers during the week but we’re also close to the cruise ships and we have a big tourist customer,” added Kenna, saying the tourism industry has returned.
“We were lucky. After we got through COVID that was a struggle and a lot of our bread and butter wasn’t there. A lot of people were working from home. It was a slow turnaround. Like most businesses, we were sort of on our knees basically just trying to get through it. Fortunately after we came out of the COVID we saw that weather was mild and we found more Canadians traveling locally or from other provinces. And there was a lot of drive to support local businesses. Now we’re seeing more international people coming to us as well.”
OBSESSIONS has a special ‘25th Anniversary’ event until September 29. Expect to see special offers all around the store, multiple daily prize draw give aways from gifts donated from all our loyal suppliers over the past 25 years plus a massive draw at the end of the event for a prize price worth more than $1,000.
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Congrats on the 25th anniversary! Really cool to see a local favorite like OBSESSIONS doing so well in Vancouver. Out of curiosity, is there a particular item that sells the best or a unique piece that has been with you from the start? Always wondered what makes a gift store stand the test of time like this one. Also, while I’m here, I stumbled on https://world-prices.com, and it might have some relevant info for those traveling around—though I’m not too sure how current the data is. Keep up the great work!