There were those who say retail is dead — especially small independently-owned shops. But don't tell that to the dozens of new shops and boutiques that have been opening around the region. City Foundry, for instance, now has 12 local retailers. And on Jefferson Avenue just south of 44 is a new boutique owned by Kim Franks, Roots Oasis.
Roots Oasis is a space for Liberated Roots Collections, a two-year-old brand that launched back in 2020. It existed as an ecommerce business at first before its brick-and-mortar launched. Franks says the pandemic allowed her to try something new.
"People aren't necessarily starting a brand because they lost their jobs, right? They're not running away from something bad. It's just that they are moving towards something that is new and different," she said.
Franks has been able to put together local markets, and says she's learned a lot.
"What I sense from doing all the market events — and I've done, I don't know, no less than 100 markets in the past three years — is that, yes, there's so much going in the direction of e-commerce. But also people are looking for connection, and they get tired of being home," she said.
Beth Casagrand with Tower Grove Park agrees and says that for many, shopping local is more personal.
"There is definitely a movement for people to buy things that are locally made handmade and supporting small businesses," Casagrand said. "To go into the in-person shopping experience where you can browse, you can look at a huge variety of different types of arts and crafts and different goods that people created, and then kind of try to find something for everyone on your list."
Hear more about how local businesses are faring from KMOX's Debbie Monterrey:
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