48 Introduction

The Spirit of the Lake Native Boutique (SOTL) case study explores marketing issues and challenges experienced by a gift store in West Kelowna, BC. Not only does it include discussions of the store’s target market, experiences, and appropriate as well as affordable marketing channels, it also addresses challenges of Indigenous business ownership and has an Indigenous product emphasis.

Exploring and showcasing Indigenous local culture has been a focus for Thompson Rivers University (TRU) for years now. Accordingly, we strive to include Indigenous content into our business courses, which this case study supports by exploring issues experienced by Indigenous businesses. As a significant and important niche business in British Columbia and in Canada, Indigenous business ownership is growing and flourishing. The following case outlines the current situation for SOTL, setting the scene for students to assess marketing opportunities, justify marketing recommendations, and rationalize strategic marketing approaches.