Today my baby went off to his first practice of high school sports. A new season has begun...on many fronts. My kids are all "old"...no more preschool, no more grade school, not even middle school. I am officially an "old" mom. Sigh.
But as life goes, new adventures await! As Patina General is celebrating our 5 year birthday in September, we are embarking on a whole new aspect of business, and are excited about it! Let me fill you in on what led us to starting an on-line store...
Five years ago at this time, our little corner shop went through a major transformation from a dark hole that had become an eyesore for the city, to a bright, sunny store that spread light to all who entered.
In our customary fashion, our families pitched in and we used what we had to build the backdrops, our checkout counters and everything else needed to get a store started cheaply, yet creatively.
In these last 5 years we have enjoyed the loyalty of wonderful customers and created special bonds with many contributors and other shop owners. We have recreated sooo many pieces of furniture and refreshed sooo many great accessories that we have lost track. But we still love coming up with themes every month and going out treasure hunting to find great finds.
We still believe the Occasional store concept is the best thing since sliced bread! It's how we can find the best finds and have the time to completely refresh and recreate them. And it's the only way we can switch the store all around with new vignettes each month. We love the fact that the 4 days we are open, we're busy with a steady stream of people, and are carrying out their one-of-a-kind finds the whole time. Slow retail is a killer-I know..& won't go back.
During these last 5 years we've heard a lot of stories...of customers that want more, of blog readers that want more...that want more of Patina General than they have access to. We've created the On-line store to service our customers and readers who are far and wide...
For the lady that came to the store in August who said she had visited 3 years ago and has been wanting to get back ever since. She's a faithful blog reader, but just doesn't live nearby. She asked her husband to take her to Buffalo for her birthday.
For loyal store customers who have moved to the Dakotas, the East Coast, even Canada, because their husbands got a transfer. They miss coming every month, and now the On-line store will bring a part of the store to them.
For customers that have visited from different states and wish they had a store "like this" near them, and love our prices compared to where they're from!
For busy working moms that spend their days off grocery shopping and running errands, and their weekends at sports tournaments, rather than having the luxury of leisurely shopping the Occasionals.
For the young mom, stuck at home with 3 kids under the age of 5 (like I was) that can't drag them around to stores. She wants cute pieces for her home at a reasonable price, but just can't get out every month.
The On-line Store is for YOU!
In between Occasionals, we still have a store full of unique, hand-crafted and refreshed items. Why not let customers have access to them? With a little more time and effort on our part (taking pic's and measurements, writing descriptions, etc.), we can bring Patina General to you.
Smaller, less heavy items can be shipped anywhere in the U.S., and larger items can be picked up at the store when we are open.
Every month, the on-line store will be filled with the same great, themed, seasonal items that we fill the store with, plus all the great junk items our creative customers love. We'll also have the basic decorating items like Reader's Digest books, and all the great hand-crafted items that make special gifts.
This month's themes of Summer Sale and Back to School are reflected in what fills the store now. Pillows, jewelry, frames, accessories, junk, and a lot of our furniture items are listed with their descriptions and prices. When checking out, you can choose whether you want your items shipped or would rather pick them up at the store.
Check it out at Patinageneral.com
You'll also notice we are offering sponsored advertising spaces on the different pages of our new site. We know how encouraged we have been as small business owners from others. We want to offer our readership to other fledgling businesses to be found. We also know we've heard about some of our favorite products on other people's blogsites. If you have a service, an on-line business, a product, or a brick and mortar company, and are seeking reasonable ad prices, check it out. Our readership is comprised by a wide variety of creatives and home-lovers in many locales.
Thankyou for supporting us these last 5 years. Please join us in this new venture, and tell your friends and family also!
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