Rich Coast Coffee

Simpli Soleil Settles into Albertville Hub

What started off as a little messing around with spray tanning has turned into a big business for two women with St. Michael-Albertville ties. 

Simpli Soleil (So-Leh) has established itself as a unique boutique for area women, providing everything from purses and other accesories to spray tanning, waxing and more.

"We opened up in December of last year really with just the spray tan in mind. And then we started getting the clothes and accessories and it took off from there," said co-owner Brooke Langva, an STMA graduate and area native who is happy to work close to home. "So we sort of flipped the angle from spray tanning salon to a botique."  

Her partner is Bobbi Kasper, who is married to a fellow STMA grad and lives with Mike and their children in nearby Buffalo. 

"We were both stay-at-home moms," Brooke said. 

"We really tried everything first on our families," Bobbi added. 

Eventually, they found a home near Westside Liqours. When that spot became a bit too small, they headed west, and nestled in next to Subway. 

"The traffic has been great. People come and poke their heads in. They want to see what we're all about," Brooke said. 

What they have is the latest in women's wear, from shirts to bracelets, necklaces to shoes. But they also have the full spray tan, which is a much safter alternative to bed tanning. 

"All of the news and information started coming out about melanoma, and people we knew were having moles checked out. It was kind of a scary thing. But people like that tanned look all year, so it was a search for an alternative that led us to this. On the East and West Coast, this is all you see. There really isn't bed tanning out there anymore," Brooke said. 

The duo has teamed up with Holli Rich, a "waxing artist" and skin specialist, to now offer body waxing for both guys and gals. It's caught up in a bit of red tape (the licensing has been delayed by the state shutdown) but will be up and running as soon as possible. 

Simpli Soleil will host grand opening events in their new location. 11008 61st Street NE in Albertville from Aug. 4 to Aug. 7. Almost the entire store will be 30 percent off during Aug. 4 hours, while the store will be 15 percent off on the weekend (excluding denim). The week will also include a "Ladies Night" and waxing–if the license is processed by then. 

For more, contact the store at 763-420-9100.

Investing Guide » Blog Archive » Trading Soft Commodities

Soft commodities include sugar, cocoa, coffee, orange juice and cotton.

Sugar

People have been using sugar for over two thousand years, when it was originally reserved for the very rich. Today, sugar is one of the most heavily traded commodities globally.

Sugar commodity contracts expire in March, May, July and October and a one point movement on a commodity CFD contract is worth USD5.60. So if a trader chose to go long on a single sugar contract, and its value rose by 25 points, he would make a profit of USD140 (USD5.60 per point x 25).

Cocoa

Cocoa was discovered by the natives of Central America over three thousand years ago, where it was a luxury for the rich. Today, most of the world’s cocoa is grown in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Brazil, Ecuador and Nigeria. This means that when there is turmoil in those regions, the price of cocoa rises due to the expected disruption of supply.

Cocoa contracts expire in March, May, July, September and December. A one point movement in a commodity CFD contract is worth USD5.

Coffee

Coffee was originally discovered over two thousand years ago in Ethiopia. From Africa, coffee made its way to the Middle East and into coffee houses, where it was introduced to travellers who spread its use beyond the region.

Coffee contracts expire in March, May, July, September and December. Coffee commodity trading contracts are worth USD1.88 per single point movement.

Orange Juice

Orange juice is a new commodity on the markets – as orange juice was traditionally consumed as a fresh juice, it had a short shelf-life and was, consequently, susceptible to price shocks due to supply disruptions.

Freezing orange juice began in the 1940s and then became the industry standard, the longer shelf-life turning it into a tradeable instrument.

Cotton

Cotton was discovered over five thousand years ago and was one of America’s first cash crops. Cotton is a very influential commodity due to its wide range of uses and contributes to a large volume of commodity trading.

Cotton contracts expire in March, May, July, October and December and a one point contract movement is worth USD2.50.

How to trade commodities

Commodity trading is usually performed with futures contracts, which are agreements that the commodity will be delivered at a certain time in the future at an agreed-upon price. The quantity, quality, time and place of delivery are all standardised aspects of the contract; the only variable is the price.

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