Business on the Move

Moving can be scary, especially when you are a successful retailer, who has been in the same tried and true location for 14 years. There are many unknowns when deciding to move the location of your business. For Jennifer Megliore, owner of ArtWare, who recently decided to move her art and gift store from Main Street to the new Shelter Cove Towne Centre, it was “an act of faith.” She left what she knew was good for the opportunity to hope for great.

The Lowcountry is well populated with charismatic boutiques….but, have you ever wondered what goes into opening a new store from the ground up? Jennifer allowed us to follow her journey from start to finish, which at times became somewhat overwhelming for her.

“We were at Main Street Village for 14 years and Main Street was so very good to us, but we needed more square feet to evolve. Once we were nearing the end of our lease, we started looking at all the possibilities. We chose Towne Centre because it is mid island, fresh and innovative. They’ve been populating the centre with unique independent boutiques and being very mindful of the product mix. Small business is the backbone of our economy and I’m really proud of Blanchard and Calhoun, the developers, for not turning this into another outlet center. There are lots of things for the guys, great restaurants, and being right by the new, waterfront special event site doesn’t hurt one bit,” Jennifer said.

When walking into Jennifer’s new, creative store, which exudes such a happy atmosphere, one can understand how it could be overwhelming to go from no walls, ceilings or electricity—what’s called a cold dark shell—to an emporium that now dons an oak tree, a camper and a hanging swing, all while staying on budget. Where to begin? “ It’s not until a merchant signs a letter of intent that the fun begins. Each space is then tailored to the shape, square footage and needs of the tenant. “I should have practiced with a kitchen remodel, or some other smaller job, but these professionals and my guardian angel, Phil Madhere, made it easy to navigate the process,” Jennifer said.

ArtWare needed 1,500 sq. ft. to improve the product mix, displays and ease of shopping. “The developer met with me to determine the necessary size of any storage and bathrooms. In our case, we decided on the smallest possible bathroom and storage space. The storeroom was where the fun began. I knew we needed to leave as much room as possible for selling space. We elected to make our backroom just over 100 square feet, but go up four levels above. With 18’ ceilings, you have to use your assets,” Jennifer said.

Adopting Helen Keller’s mantra, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all,” Jennifer eventually pushed the overwhelm aside and let her imagination run wild. “I love the height of the open ceilings and the industrial look that brings. It saved some serious money that was needed to stay on budget elsewhere. That allowed us some fun details like a hanging chair under the Live Oak Tree. I knew I wanted to pay tribute to our southern location, so we painted the ceiling ‘Haint’ blue, a color that locals feel provides blessings to all who occupy the space. My idea was to bring the outdoors in, celebrating the beauty of the Lowcountry. Visitors to our Main Street store loved the Oak tree, dripping with lights in one of our rooms. That same tree has put down new roots, and become a Live Oak, dripping with Spanish Moss. Overall, I wanted to take the same formula that has made ArtWare successful and mix in the cultural assets of the Lowcountry. Basically, if Pinterest and Etsy had a love child, it would be my new store!” Jennifer said.

This project, which started on July 4, 2014 and culminated with a Nov. 15 move in date, has been a positive endeavor filled with many lessons for Jennifer and her crew. One of the things she is most thrilled about is that her regular customers followed her and showed up in droves for the Christmas shopping season. In addition, many new people found her store for the first time, as well. For a businesswoman who admits her life and business was good right where she was, she is excited about the future.

Jennifer’s advice for others considering starting or moving a business is rely on experts you know, work with people you trust, and break the big tasks into little achievable steps. That’s exactly what she did and it all worked out. “We’ll bring our same tradition of unusual items at reasonable prices and I think we’ll have a winning formula. This is a happy place. I get to make a living making people happy. We’re not saving lives here, it’s just retail,” she said laughing.