Hide

I always find something great in this shop! Beautifully made leather belts, bags, jewelry. Diverse selection of Canadian clothing designers. The owner is a lovely person to deal with. Great neighborhood spot. Plus a really cute shop cat!

First Impressions:
The shop itself is quite narrow, with the leather goods — bags, purses, wallets, belts, other accessories — aligned along the walls in a very accessible array.
They looked very appealing, saturated with colour, sleek, sometimes graphic in design. I particularly admired the line that included a single large covered button as closure/​detail.
In a bowl on the counter were small square bits that seemed to be key tags marked «H» for Hide. I don’t know if these come with purchase, or if they are for sale. Lucky you if that’s your initial; they were quite nice, and a clever use of leftover material if that is what they were.
Some of the belts were very stiff, shall we politely say sturdy, while others were supple and almost fluid. So, something for many tastes.
There were items marked ‘sale’, but even so the price points were low triple digits, although we did not look closely at most items, nor the jewellery at all.
And that’s because of the cat.
On the day that we went, we were greeted very noisily by a large cat who meo-​howled at us as we came in.
Full disclosure: I have pets, cats and dog, and understand their charms. My shopping companion does not have pets, but she knows my animals very well, and my cat in particular has often burrowed himself into her shoes or bag in hopes of her taking him home. They all get along very well, is what I’m saying.
Hide’s cat kept circling around our legs, as cats do, and meowing, pausing only to greet two other people who came into the shop.
My friend and I lost track of the cat, understandably, while we examined one or two of the belts.
Scene: Narrow shop, slightly crowded, attention being paid to leather details and … as my friend stepped back there was a large shriek and hiss as she stumbled over the cat who had parked itself right behind her. She was scratched although fortunately she was wearing pants, so there was no skin damage.
The shopkeeper [owner, assistant, whatever] cuddled the cat and cooed at it over and over, to make sure it was not traumatized by the event. She did not once ask about my friend’s condition nor offer any apology or acknowledgement that this may have been the cat’s doing.
Really.
Needless to say we were both taken aback by the store representative’s lack of concern for my friend, and her lack of understanding of the store’s responsibility.
The shopkeep had been on her tech equipment [computer, phone, I don’t remember] the whole time we were there. If someone should have been paying attention to the cat it was not supposed to be us.
We left straight away.
It is my experience when there are pets in a store, they are either very laid back and stay clear of the customers or they are kept out of the way.
Unless of course the shop is there for the pet’s convenience, and not for the customers at all.
And since the store is called «Hide», if I were that cat, I would.
No compelling reason to return. Lots of reasons to stay away.
That’s is my first impression of Hide.