For owners Richard and Laureen Hiebert, running a store does not necessarily mean staying in one place.

Instead, Muskeg Lake Shop travels.
The Westlock County business was most recently at the Slave Lake Farmers’ Market on Aug. 22, bringing everything from books and natural herbs to crafting materials, jewelry, and handmade products along for the ride.

The Hieberts started coming to the Slave Lake market earlier this year after customers who had seen them at other markets encouraged them to make the trip north.
It turned out to be a worthwhile suggestion.

“The customer response has been overwhelming and we have made a lot of friends already,” says Richard.

The story of Muskeg Lake Shop begins about 30 minutes north of Westlock, where Richard and Laureen live off-grid on an acreage overlooking Muskeg Lake.
Hence the name.

The couple started the business in 2018 and has primarily sold its products at farmers’ markets, online, and to friends. Instead of limiting themselves to one type of product, the Hieberts have built a business that changes depending on what customers are looking for.

Much of what they offer also has a connection to home.
Richard says they grow many of the herbs they sell, assemble their jewelry at home and offer a variety of handmade crafts. Their table can look a little different from one market to the next as products change and new ideas are added.
However, their focus has increasingly turned toward supplying crafting materials to other vendors, schools and clubs.

“Our hope is to be a local wholesale supplier,” he says.

For people visiting their booth at a market, the variety is part of the experience.
Books and natural herbs are currently among Muskeg Lake Shop’s most popular products, but Richard says what fills their travelling shop is never set in stone. If customers start asking for something new, the Hieberts are willing to consider bringing it in.

“We like the thought of being a mobile general store and our products are always changing to customer requests and product popularity,” he says.

His wife has a simple solution when something does not sell as well as they hoped.
“My wife always says, if we have a bad sales day, expand the product line,” Richard says.

That willingness to change has become part of how the Hieberts operate Muskeg Lake Shop.
Rather than seeing the business as something that needs to fit into one category, they have allowed it to grow alongside their customers. Their selection has expanded over the years, and they already have more ideas planned.

This fall, the Hieberts expect to add a line of herbs and spices.
Being mobile also means Muskeg Lake Shop can go where the customers are.

The Hieberts travel to farmers’ markets, rodeos and festivals, taking their products to different communities instead of waiting for customers to come to them. That gives them something an online shop cannot always provide which is the the opportunity to meet the people buying their products face-to-face.

Those conversations can lead to new ideas, new products and, sometimes, new places to visit.

Slave Lake has become one of the communities they enjoy returning to.

“We really enjoy the vibe of the Slave Lake farmers market,” Richard says. “The management has created a great atmosphere. And there is a great group of varied vendors attending.”

For Laureen, however, selling products is only one part of what Muskeg Lake Shop is meant to do.

In what the couple calls “Thoughts from the Muskeg,” she describes their purpose as listening to people, learning from them and helping where they can.

“We are here to serve the people,” she says. “Listen to them. Learn from them.”
For the Hieberts, that can mean more than simply helping someone choose something from their booth.

Laureen says they are willing to teach people the crafts they sell and help them find information when they have questions. Their goal is for people to walk away with more than just a purchase.

That philosophy also extends to the other businesses and vendors around them.
Farmers’ markets bring many small businesses together in one space, and Laureen says Muskeg Lake Shop wants to contribute to the success of the larger market rather than focus only on its own booth.

“We really are here to help the community of Slave Lake grow a larger customer base for all vendors and businesses,” she says.

As they continue travelling, the Hieberts are also thinking about how far Muskeg Lake Shop could eventually go.

Richard says they hope to expand their sales trailer next year, giving them more room to carry their growing selection of products. Eventually, the couple would like to operate Muskeg Lake Shop full-time.

A permanent store is also something they are considering for the future.
But whether Muskeg Lake Shop eventually has four walls or continues travelling from community to community, the idea behind the business remains much the same.

Richard says that they will continue to listen to the customers and adapt to what communities want and keep moving.

Julia Magsombol
Lakeside Leader