Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012

Cary tries its hand at retail

Town opens temporary indoor market

Artsy shoppers have their pick of crafty gifts in downtown Cary this year.

A slate of small shops are new to town, from A Perfect Piece to Vintage Vogue. And then there’s a unique venture from another newcomer to business: the town of Cary.

The local government has turned a vacant storefront into a temporary “pop-up shop” where Wake County artists and artisans sell their work for a week at a time.

“It’s amazing what a coat of paint will do,” said town staffer Joy Ennis as she stood inside the impromptu holiday boutique.

The idea is similar to Lazy Daze, the town’s street festival that brings tens of thousands to downtown for a day of art. In all, the Holly Daze store will bring 45 artists to 120 E. Chatham St., a building the town bought last November.

The three-week shop runs until Dec. 22, with a new crop of vendors every week.

So far, the shop has met mixed but generally positive responses from the artists. Several first-week sellers were happy to have a new outlet, but many lamented the lack of foot traffic.

Each artist’s table must be manned during all business hours, including lightly trafficked weekdays.

“I like the idea. But like most start-ups, it’s tough,” said local photographer Don Sprinkle, who was selling a spread of holiday postcards and images.

He said he saw a half dozen to a dozen customers per day – not enough to turn much profit, but a perfect testing ground for his new products.

Jewelry maker Linda Searcy praised the venue but complained about a lack of foot traffic. The project needed “more ads, more exposure,” said Searcy, a self-taught Cary resident who works in a range of metals and techniques.

A lack of customers has been a long-time challenge for downtown. In fact, the pop-up shop is part of the town’s campaign of new cultural events and construction projects meant to draw people downtown. The 2,600-square-foot shop stands next to The Cary, an under-construction arts venue.

The town eventually hopes to rent out the shop to a retail or food operation.

“It’s slow, but it’s alive,” said Gava Van Der Schyff, a native of South Africa who was selling knitted goods during the shop’s first week. She would take the opportunity again, she said.

Likewise, quilter Marianne Donohue said Holly Daze provided a place to meet new artists and customers.

“Somebody can look online and see this,” she said, pointing to a framed quilt, “but they won’t know why I made it.”

And, Donohue added, the indoor shop had none of an outdoor market’s threat of bad weather.

For Hannah Dare Yarborough, a 17-year-old from Raleigh, Holly Daze was an introduction to the seller’s table, that bastion of local art.

“It’s been fun to talk to people,” she said from behind her spread of crafts. “I’ve sold something every day this week.”