Main Street shop remodel aimed at Parkites
Somer Gardiner developed a love for Park City when her family moved to town in 1997, so she had a simple goal when she opened Olive & Tweed, a Main Street women’s clothing store, in 2009.
"From the moment I opened the business, it was about taking back Main Street for locals," Gardiner said. "That’s been my whole thing."
It was with that in mind that Gardiner recently remodeled Olive & Tweed’s second floor, unveiling the new look in early July. She said she designed the level with a focus on Park City consumers.
"I think we were ready for a new look," Gardiner said. "We wanted to represent where fashion was headed and also bring in some items that were a little more hand-selected for the Park City audience."
Though she said recent construction in front of the store that is part of the ongoing Main Street upgrades has dampened foot traffic, the customer reception to the redesign has been positive.
"They are liking what they see," Gardiner said. " Right now, I feel like it’s not a great time to gauge how things are going or what the response is. But before (the construction) started, we were getting locals who come in every once in a while saying, ‘It’s looking great. We’ll be back more often.’"
Gardiner’s desire to make her store stand out to local customers stems from a passion for Park City that has grown during the time she’s lived in town.
"Park City offers a world-class experience in a small town," Gardiner said. "The setting is beautiful, the sports and access to trails and hiking — all of that is really amazing. Then you get world-class restaurants and shopping. It’s all above average for a small town, and that’s something to be excited about."
That pride in Park City is something she said business and residents, alike, should share.
"I’m a local and I think it’s important for us, as locals, to support our local businesses," Gardiner said. "But it’s also important for businesses to support locals. That’s what I’m trying to do."
While specifically catering to locals, Gardiner has had to do it in a way that makes her store attract out-of-towners, as well. Many of them, she said, have deep pockets, but the key to a balance between marketing to locals and those from elsewhere is stocking items that are affordable to the majority of people.
"(Out-of-towners) are a good chunk of our business, so we wanted to make it appealing to everybody," Gardiner said. "But as far as price goes, we try to keep our prices accessible to locals, who have a broad income range."
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