Home Decor Store Opens on Eagle Street
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| Alan Richards |
"I keep hearing the word 'unique,' which is exactly what I'm looking for," said owner and operator Alan Richards at the Eagle Street store on Thursday.
"The style is pretty diverse and that's the way I want to keep it. I don't want to get stuck on one theme," Richards added.
A & M, whose grand opening was scheduled this weekend, hopes to be a destination store for locals who are looking to find that truly perfect gift. Offering everything from special occasion porcelain dolls and silver jewelry to patriotic home decorations and garden plaques, the store wants to attract a new kind of shopper.
"Part of the reason I opened a new business was that you can't go anywhere and get this kind of stuff unless you go to Wal-Mart. And a lot of the stuff I have you can't get even there," Richards said. "I just wanted to have a place where people could go and get quality items for a fair and reasonable price."
<L2>Richards, 37, an Army National Guard assistant recruiter, developed the idea of owning his own business almost two months ago and makes no decisions without consulting A & M's vice president - his 11-year-old daughter, Amber.
"I don't make any decisions without talking to her," said Richards, who, along with his wife, selected most of the store's stock.
Though most of the large items - coffeetables, mirrors, hammocks, furniture - won't arrive until next week, the shop's walls are already lined with lamps, statuettes, candles, picture frames, one-of-a-kind trinkets and specialty spiritual items. The inventory will always feature something new, Richards promises, and he hopes people will keep coming back for more.
"Right now, it looks a little like a knick-knack store and it's driving me nuts but as soon as I get the big stuff in here, it'll be different. I keep telling people, 'Make sure you come back. This isn't half of what I have," he said. "I'm trying to find a niche for the store and I don't want to keep the same stuff in here because it'll get stale."
With the help of his two young daughters, Amber and Megan, 8, (the inspiration for the store's title), Richards offers products for both the young audience and the typical gift shop patron. His prices, too, set him apart because items are "priced by what I would want to pay."
Born and raised in the city, Richards said he'd love to see his little shop take off but it's going to require more foot traffic on his side of Eagle Street. He hopes that downtown events and a collaboration of business owners and city officials will help attract more people to the historic street.
"We need to work together to get the businesses here," said Richards, who has already asked Dragonflii Clothing Co. owner Tim Lanfair for business advice.
For Richards, who had previously sold cars as a career, running a business is a completely new venture that stems from a mere passion for working with the public.
"I want a nice, friendly place for people to come shopping and find something they can't get anywhere else. I want people to say, 'Let's go to A & M Home Decor because they have goofy stuff,'" he said.
A & M will be open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Richards said he expected to be closed on Sundays and Mondays. For more information, call Richards at 413-884-2102.
Edited: March 2,2008
