Exchange District’s Two Macaws Turns Commerce Into Connection
How do you create a connection with someone the moment they enter your business?
Spinning records, cozy knitwear, artisan-woven textiles, and thoughtful touches like handwritten notes and a free library all help create the welcoming environment inside Two Macaws.
Owner Noor’s concept store in Winnipeg’s Exchange District has home décor, gifts, and global goods for sale. But what her concept offers, is a space designed to help busy shoppers on their lunch break or Saturday afternoon slow down, take a breath, and engage.
“I’ve always wanted to be more than just retail, which is why we call it a concept store. It brings people together — not just to buy things, but to experience and to feel that connection as well,” Noor explains.
Creating a Calm and Intentional Retail Experience
Since opening last April, Two Macaws has reflected Noor’s approach to commerce: curated, intentional, and grounded in global craft. Her product picking process brings together artisans from around the world to showcase their goods, like the hand-woven Peruvian textiles on display from a producer Noor met while traveling and continues to work with today, bringing their craft to Winnipeg shoppers and an online audience.
Spend a few minutes browsing, and you’ll notice the classical, baroque, and jazz records playing softly from behind the counter, a deliberate choice rooted in Noor’s background in sound healing, which uses vibration and frequency to support well-being.
“Almost everybody who comes in says it’s a relaxing environment. The music is a huge part of that,” she says.
Together, the goods and the pace of the space shape the shop’s distinct feeling — calm, grounded, and meant to be moved through slowly, a feeling Noor herself pursued for years.
From Global Experience to Local Business
Before opening Two Macaws, Noor spent years in India and Peru in social work, while studying meditation, yoga, and sound healing. It was there she met makers whose craft held cultural depth and personal meaning.
When she returned to Winnipeg, Noor set out to create a space reflecting those experiences, plus a few innovations of her own. Soon after opening Two Macaws, she introduced a free library after noticing the Exchange District didn’t have one, offering a simple, low-barrier point of connection.
During First Fridays, she set up a mirror inviting visitors to leave handwritten compliments on sticky notes. Inside the shop, her “leave a note, take a note” jar grew directly out of that practice, encouraging small exchanges between strangers. She also opens the space for workshops and First Fridays events, bringing artists, makers, and neighbours together.
For Noor, “community is at the core of everything we do” — a commitment reflected in the way people gather, share, and return to the space.
Finding Community at The Winnipeg Chamber
Noor’s focus on connection is also what drew her to The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, which she says has become an essential part of her support system as an entrepreneur. “The Chamber has been a reminder that we don’t need to do everything alone. There’s a community here — a network of businesses and members of the community — to reach out to and grow with.”
The sense of calm, curated connection at Two Macaws comes from the environment Noor builds – one of soft music, meaningful goods, and small moments, inviting you to interact not just with the space, but with the people who share it.
Rooted in care, Noor’s approach welcomes you the moment you arrive, so whether you’re searching for a meaningful gift to stand out, or a chance to slow down and feel like a part of something in Winnipeg’s Exchange District, you’ll find it at Two Macaws.