August 19, 2019 – Ottawa Business Journal – With annual revenues that now top the $1-billion mark, 4,000-plus employees and more than 800,000 merchants using its platform, Ottawa-based Shopify has become a global tech powerhouse in every sense of the word.

But to Sheba and Gordie Schmidt, the e-commerce giant is more like that friendly neighbor who comes over when your computer is on the fritz.

The husband-and-wife team have owned West End Kids, a children’s apparel store on Richmond Road in Westboro, for nearly a quarter of a century. In that time, they’ve witnessed a lot of changes that have transformed Main Street brick-and-mortar retail ​– maybe none bigger than the rise of online shopping.

“Without online, we wouldn’t be here anymore. That’s the reality,” says Gordie, adding overhead on his 1,300-square-foot store “has gotten to such a point that you need to subsidize it” with sales via the web.

Read more at the Ottawa Business Journal.