NUNAVUT
The acquisition of I Shop 4U by Braden Burry Expediting (BBE) is bringing the North closer to southern bricks-and-mortar stores.

BBE employees Daniel Merritt, left, and Angela Shepherd package goods procured by I Shop 4U for shipping to Northern clients. - photo courtesy of BBE

BBE, a logistics company, acquired I Shop 4U, a personal shopping service, in mid-November.

"A customer has a request for items that are not available, not readily available, in the community and we shop for it. If it's not available in stores or if they're not sure where to get it, we source and prepare those items and make sure it's delivered to them. So the combination of BBE, we specialize in logistics, and our expertise in procurement, that combined gets the product to the Northern person."

I Shop 4U's founders are currently travelling to Mexico but intend to return to I Shop 4U to provide assistance for the spring sea lift season, said Hollmann.

"They are basically working with us by email ... and are there if there are any questions or something like that. In the spring they are going to come back and they'd like to help us with the sea lift. They'll still be involved."

I Shop 4U was founded by Gerri and Bruce Mulley after the couple, who lived in the North for four years, moved to Ottawa for better access to medical care for their son who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to I Shop 4U's website.

As people the Mulley's knew asked for products from Southern stores, the couple saw a business opportunity where they could shop for Northern residents and send the products up during the sealift season.

I Shop 4 U also created employment opportunities for their son and other people with mental health issues.

BBE will "absolutely" continue to employ people struggling with mental illness, said Hollmann.

The acquisition will extend I Shop 4 U services into the NWT, whereas they previously only shipped products to Nunavut.

Additionally, the service will be available year-round and not limited to the sea lift season.

"Initially they would only offer this a few months of the year and then were shut down from November all the way to April, I believe, but now one big change is that it's open year-round."

BBE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NorTerra Inc., which is jointly owned by the Inuvialuit Development Corp. and the Nunasi Corporation.

"The opportunity is for the people of the North. Initially I Shop 4U was servicing the Easter Arctic in Nunavut but as of our take-over we've expanded it throughout the whole North because we are a Northern-owned company."

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