Local Store “Crowdsources” Idea for Knitting Store
Cindy Lupica, owner of Marmalade, a Chappaqua gift and home furnishings store, decided to do some homespun market research. She asked the Chappaqua Moms, a Facebook group comprised of more than 3,000 women, what type of retailers they would like to see in their town. “A knitting store!” they shouted out.
Lupica worked with the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce to create a “knitting store for a day” to test-market the concept. The Yarn Company, a popular knitting retailer in Manhattan, will be setting up shop in the back of Marmalade on Saturday, March 8th, offering instruction and knitting kits to the crafters of the community.
Says Lupica, “I love the fact that through Facebook we have the ability to reach our customers directly to inquire about their needs and wants. This pop-up knitting store is a direct result of that. It’s gratifying to know that we can supply our customers with something they feel is a void in our town and I’m hoping to see lots of new faces that day!”
Nancy A. Shenker, President of the Chamber of the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, met Tavy Ronen, Founder of the Yarn Company at Vogue Knitting LIVE! (a consumer event) last year and introduced the store owners to each other. “The role of the Chamber is to help businesses thrive throughout the area. The best way to find out what the customers want is simply to ask them. It’s a simple but powerful idea. This way, two retailers can test the market demand without a huge investment.”
Says Ronen, “We immediately loved the idea of taking our store ‘on the road’ and exposing our brand to a whole new community. If the event is successful, we may hold classes more often or perhaps even consider opening a permanent store in town.”
