Brick and Mortar Mercantile owner Ben Wegdam not too long ago opened a area in Carytown, the fourth for the brand. (Courtesy of Brick and Mortar Mercantile)
A reward shop that aims to enliven the brick-and-mortar retail working experience has opened its doors in Carytown.
Brick and Mortar Mercantile released past 7 days in the previous Carytown Goodwill store at 3114 W. Cary St.
The shop is the most up-to-date Carytown venture by Ben and Tara Wegdam, the married pair behind the Zest Garments & Co., Lou Lou Boutiques and Crème de la Crème suppliers in the same community.
The Carytown Brick and Mortar is the brand’s very first place in Richmond. The Wegdams also have Brick and Mortar shops in Middleburg and Leesburg, and in Frederick, Maryland.
The brand released quite a few a long time back as a bid to reverse slipping foot website traffic at the Wegdams’ other stores with an emphasis on an partaking retailer experience and “edgy” merchandise choices, Ben Wegdam reported.
“We saw that targeted traffic in normal was down, and there had been a couple factors for that. But almost certainly the principal explanation is absolutely everyone is shopping at Amazon,” he reported. “We arrived up with a thought that is all about entertainment. Not that I want to be a cafe or a bar, but folks require to be entertained when they come right here since amusement is something they just can’t get on the web.”
The Carytown retail store attributes a piano that shoppers can perform and a birdcage with live birds as techniques to seize the attention of clients.
“The total idea is to bring persons in. And as soon as they’re in, they have enjoyment,” Wegdam stated. “Obviously, we hope they acquire something. But even if they do not, we hope they have a good time.”
Brick and Mortar carries a wide selection of clothes, books, toiletries, novelties and other goods. Manufacturers on the stores’ cabinets consist of names like hat enterprise Stetson and out of doors outfits corporation Filson, as very well as makes like shoe organization Blundstone, soap enterprise Dr. Squatch and garments brand name Upstate Stock.
Whilst Brick and Mortar is primarily a retailer-bound idea, it does function a minimal online keep. It signed a lease on the 5,000-sq.-foot space late last yr.
The father or mother enterprise of Brick and Mortar is West Federal Retail, which the Wegdams have. In addition to the 4 Brick and Mortar locations, the corporation operates far more than a dozen Lou Lou spots, three Creme de la Cremes and a few Zests. West Federal is centered in Middleburg.
Other new vendors that have recently opened in Carytown incorporate collectible toy retail store Toy Lair and bag company Lineage.