Pequot Lakes store moving south to Baxter
Among the Pines owner seeks more year-round exposure at Baxter Village
PEQUOT LAKES -- A shopper can gaze at the purses at Among the Pines in Pequot Lakes and wonder what the message might have been.
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After all, the purses are made from recycled billboard vinyl. Store owner Sue Conway looks for inventory made from what she calls a great idea that made it to the market.
Now Conway is looking for a change as she moves her store from Main Street in Pequot Lakes -- where it has been for eight years -- to the Baxter Village going up along Highway 371 North. Among the Pines grew in Pequot Lakes, expanding from its first location to a larger shop just across the street six years ago.
Conway said the move -- roughly 18 miles south -- is an opportunity to move from a seasonal retail setting to one that attracts a central customer base year-round.
"I like it here," Conway said of Pequot Lakes. But she said the decision to move will allow her to grow the business. It also will create jobs as she anticipates adding three part-time staff positions, particularly looking for people who love knitting. During the busy season, the store now employs four people.
Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson
Sue Conway, owner of Among the Pines, is moving her business from a more seasonal setting in Pequot Lakes to a new retail center in the Baxter Village that she expects to offer more year-round exposure. She plans to add jobs and expand the store with the move, which should be completed in time for a mid-October opening day.
"It's big time to me," she said of the Baxter Village location. "Any time you make a decision -- how do you know it's the right thing to do? We just need to make a change to go to the next level."
Conway describes Among the Pines as a shop with an artistic side and handmade American goods. She said her store attracts customers who are looking for something different "when they want to give a gift that doesn't scream 'department store.'"
Her store goods come from cottage industries -- a small pottery cooperative and a glass blower who does metal work. There are gifts for the cabin, frames, doorbell plates, books, candles, jewelry, rugs, ceramic tile wall hangings, art glass, yarn and fabric.
Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson
Sue Conway, owner of Among the Pines, is moving her business from a more seasonal setting in Pequot Lakes to a new retail center in the Baxter Village that she expects to offer more year-round exposure. She plans to add jobs and expand the store with the move, which should be completed in time for a mid-October opening day.
In fact, a good section of the business is devoted to intriguingly different looking yarns and fabrics. Conway said 40 percent of her business is in that department.
Conway expects marketing and buying will change when looking at a year-round business versus a seasonal one. But Conway said she does not want the new store, an increase from 1,600 square feet to 2,100 square feet, to be a different one than her regular customers have come to know. Additions are expected to include more clothes, home decor and an expanded jewelry selection.
Among the Pines is expected to be open in Pequot Lakes through September and then close for two weeks to handle the move, reopening in Baxter by mid October. In the new store, one side will be devoted to fiber and fabric while the other side will be devoted to gifts. Plans call for a cozy sitting area with a TV expected to offer views of sporting events that may entertain shoppers' spouses. There are ideas for a "Knit Night Flick Night" to combine movie watching with knitting efforts.
Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson
Sue Conway, owner of Among the Pines, is moving her business from a more seasonal setting in Pequot Lakes to a new retail center in the Baxter Village that she expects to offer more year-round exposure. She plans to add jobs and expand the store with the move, which should be completed in time for a mid-October opening day.
As for the move, Conway had signs up in the store to let customers know a change was coming. Several asked where she was headed. When return customers come to the area for a week once a year, Conway knows she'll have to make sure they can find her in the future.
As for locals, Conway agrees there is a perception in the lakes area that certain shops are just for tourists. There are high-end items in the store, namely a necklace that retails for $1,800, but Conway said most items are less expensive and more in line with a linen wrapped box soap set that sells for $15.
"I wish there was an easy way to say to people we are really different so come in and explore," she said. "The words 'different' and 'unique' don't quite do it."
RENEE RICHARDSON can be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.