Phased in

Winnipeg is now home to a unique little shop of horrors called Neverending Phase, which opened its doors in time for trick-or-treaters. Billed at $5.77 plus GST every four weeks, the price increases to $19.95 plus GST every four weeks after 52 weeks. The venture is owned by Kim Mowat and Wade Atkinson, longtime friends and former colleagues who met 18 years ago while working at Wal-Mart's Empress Street location.

The duo sells a variety of spooky merchandise catering to alternative subcultures like goth, metal and punk, including chokers, platform shoes, fishnet stockings, and items like crystal bookends that look like tombstones and bath bombs shaped like specters. Mowat and Atkinson emphasize that the shop is open year-round, not just for Halloween, as they want customers to feel like Halloween every day of the year.

The idea for the shop came about after the pair were laid off in February 2025 due to cutbacks. They initially considered opening a convenience store/pickup depot in Norway House, where Mowat is originally from, but lacked funds to repair Mowat's truck. Instead, they turned their attention to marketing self-produced goods at craft shows and pop-ups around the city. Their business began to thrive, leading them to lease a 1,600-sq.-ft. space on Ellice Avenue and Wall Street for their flagship store.

Since opening, Neverending Phase has already formed business relationships with 16 other vendors and has 10 more pending. The shop also recently welcomed It Makes Scents, an artisan specializing in horror-themed soaps, to their lineup.