Exceeding expectations

Charlie Yorke has seen Carved in Oak Boutique grow in less than a year

The owner of Carved in Oak Boutique never dreamed her business would come this far this fast.

Charlie Yorke originally conceived of Carved in Oak as an online-only women’s clothing store.

But in a very short amount of time, the store has grown and found a home at Dayle’s Grand Market in Amherst.

“My one-year anniversary is coming up this September and I can’t believe how fast it all happened,” she told The Cumberland Wire. “I was not expecting that.”

Yorke moved from Parrsboro to Amherst, where she took a social services program in college, when she was 19.

As her program neared its conclusion, she started researching business opportunities during the lockdown last year.

“I wasn’t sure what business I wanted to do but then I started to look into an online clothing store for women,” she recalled. “I know how frustrating it can be for people in Amherst, not having places to go, especially during lockdowns because (when that happens) you have to drive all the way to Truro because you can’t go to Moncton, and that’s a very long drive.”

In May, she graduated from college and, despite the challenges of starting a business during a pandemic, she decided to take the leap.

“You only live once and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out; I don’t really care because if I don’t try I’ll never know,” Yorke recalled thinking at the time.

She came up with the name Carved in Oak, integrating her and her partner’s background with woodworking.

Yorke registered the business in June and launched her website for customers in September.

“I just wanted an online store; it was never supposed to be more than that,” she said.

Soon thereafter, in October, another business owner offered her the opportunity to do a pop-up event so people could check out her product line. The arrangement worked so well that she ended up staying there for several months.

“It was great. I absolutely loved it. It was, like, my fulltime job. I haven’t had to have another job since.”

Then, this April, she was offered a space at Dayle’s Grand Market where she’s been ever since.

“It was kind of a dream come true,” she said. “Everyone is like family there. It’s a bunch of small businesses in one building.”

Yorke believes what makes her business unique for the area is that it’s a clothing store primarily for women, aged 16 to 35, though people of other ages can often still find something they love there.

By the end of August, she hopes to be all-sizes inclusive.

The store also has a small selection of unisex products.

How the business has grown since last September can be seen in how her product line has expanded.

Along with women’s clothing, she now offers home décor items, skin care products, woodworking products, jewelry and more.

This summer, she also hired her first employee.

Almost all her products are sourced from Canadian business ran by women.

To learn more about

Carved in Oak Boutique or peruse its offerings, visit carvedinoak.ca.