Today’s Local Love is a little different than our previous posts. This week we shine the spotlight on a brand new business, Village Apothecary. This adorable little store opened its doors just last week, with a housewarming party inside and free yoga outside. Located in historic, picturesque Leiper’s Fork, the setting could not be more ideal for this shop, and we are proudly spreading the word in support of its success. So, read on and see all the reasons why you need to visit this natural beauty and wellness store in person.
Village Apothecary – Their Story
Business owner Melissa Vines has been in the skin care industry for over a decade. First, she worked as an aesthetician, earning an outstanding reputation for her skill and knowledge in the field. She gravitated toward natural products and spent more time researching these options once she was pregnant with her first child. When her son was born, Melissa developed her own skin care line for babies. She loved running her own company and making an organic product she could feel good about delivering to customers.
With her second pregnancy she decided to sell the business and studied herbs and aromatherapy. During all this time, she kept thinking about opening her own shop. She would often visit Leiper’s Fork and remark that if she ever opened a store, it would be in that quaint environment. Last May, after visiting the area with her husband, she saw an available opening and decided it was time. When she made the call, the spot she wanted was no longer an option; however, another spot with a kitchen was about to be free. Now the space is perfect, with enough room for the retail side and a kitchen to whip up her amazing potions.
What You Will Love
- Entering the store you immediately notice the calming effect of the decor – the walls are painted a gorgeous pale blue-grey, the lighting is soft, there are chairs to relax in, and the products are packaged beautifully and simply.
- Melissa crafts each batch of beautifying goods from scratch: oil cleansers, rose mist, lavender-infused witch hazel, sugar scrubs and body butter are among the local favorites. She plans to add perfumes to the rotating inventory soon. Within the coming weeks, she will offer an all natural bug spray, which is destined to fly off the shelves with our Tennessee summers! All concoctions are made with careful consideration, using only the best ingredients.
- Part of the original vision for Village Apothecary included yoga. Currently, free yoga is offered outside the store on Saturday mornings at 9. Plans to incorporate a sunset session are also in the works. It is a remarkable experience and one I can personally recommend.
- The five year plan for the store is for the Leiper’s Fork location to be the flagship store, but to branch out online and internationally.
Community
Melissa has already experienced the warm welcome the Leiper’s Fork community offers new business owners. Locals have stopped by Village Apothecary regularly to introduce themselves and welcome her to the area. She has discussed partnering with another business owner to host events for product demonstrations and a girls’ night with a “make-your-own” theme. Long term, Melissa would like to buy property in the community to grow her own herbs for her store. Leiper’s Fork has long held a special place in her heart, and she would like to call it home as well.
Social Media
Like many small business owners just getting started, Melissa is still developing her social media plan for Village Apothecary. She has a Facebook business page, where she promotes news and events, and where fans share their reviews. Despite just opening the store recently, she already has almost 200 Likes for her business page, which is a testament to the impression the store is making on visitors already. A website is forthcoming as she works out the details for an e-commerce option.
You can also find Melissa on Instagram where she includes personal thoughts, motivations, and business updates. She pins frequently on Pinterest as well and is likely a good candidate for adding rich pins to her products. Melissa has found that both Facebook and Instagram have led customers to her door, creating deeper connections with the personal interaction she then gets to share with them.
We look forward to watching Village Apothecary grow and will be sure to provide a follow up post in the future. Already have a favorite product from the shop? Let me know at: Email Jenn.
[success]
Weekly Email Newsletter
Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter, so you can keep up with our weekly Local Love spotlights to learn about the great businesses in our area and how they’re using social media to connect with their audience. [/success]
