North Hills | Liza Roberts | “Buying Local” is a One-Stop Shop at North Hills

“Buying Local” is a One-Stop Shop at North Hills

By Liza Roberts

You’ve heard of the green campaign to eat locally grown food. But there’s an equally active nationwide effort urging consumers to buy everything they need from locally owned businesses.
The idea has a green gloss — reducing carbon emissions is easy to do if you don’t travel far to shop — but the buy-local movement’s most vocal supporters are more interested in the economic health of their communities than anything else.
“The money that we keep in our town just can’t compare to a national chain,” says Jennifer Huggard, owner of the women’s clothing boutique Tyler House at North Hills Shopping Center in Raleigh. “We use local accountants, local advertising people; we support local charities. The money keeps rolling back in.”
The data proves her point: For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $68 stays in the local economy; for every $100 spent at a national chain, the amount that stays is just $43, according to the research and analysis firm Civic Economics.
Huggard says when she looks around at her fellow merchants at North Hills, she is delighted to find she’s not alone. Indeed, North Hills is packed with small, independently owned businesses like hers, stores whose owners live in the neighborhood, work on the shop floor every day, and are as involved in the community as their customers — whom they know well.
“I have people who come into the store who have known me since I was growing up,” says Christy Tyre, owner of Fantasia Boutique, a shop for women. At the gift and bridal registry shop Quintessentials, owner Ann Weaver knows many, if not most of her customers, all of whom are offered lemonade or a cold Coke when they walk in the door. “I want the atmosphere to be as if they’ve come into my house for a party,” Weaver says. “I think it’s really important that someone enjoy being here, even if it’s just that they’re coming to look.”
Jennifer Crowder, who owns the toy store Learning Express with her sister Lindsay Craven, says one of the silver linings of going to work every day is the chance to catch up with “old friends.” She’s referring to the cadre of young mothers — many of them fellow parents of children in the local schools — who stream in looking for birthday and Christmas presents and frequently asking for charitable donations as well.

Community Contributions

“We make donations to at least 80-100 preschools, churches and elementary schools a year,” Crowder says. “We very rarely turn people down for a donation. It is definitely the smaller, independent stores like ours that support the local community. Chain stores don’t do it.”
She’s not alone among her fellow North Hills retailers — nor among independent businesses nationwide — in giving back. Indeed, nonprofit organizations receive an average 250 percent more support from small business owners than from large businesses, according to the Sustainable Connections organization.
Quintessentials’ Weaver is also a big contributor to local charities. “I know that it’s important that we be a part of the community. My instinct has always been to be generous.”
That instinct is clearly contagious: Her retail neighbor Kim Seymour, who owns the maternity shop Cravings, has joined up with Huggard and several other independently owned North Hills stores to form The Boutique Collective, a charitable giving circle.
“We are a group of stores with community-minded owners, aiming to pool our resources in order to give back,” she says. “It’s the whole concept of philanthropic marketing. There’s no reason you can’t run a business that also improves the community you’re working in.” Recent Boutique Collective events have included a “Tin for Ten” shopping night. Customers who contributed to a food drive with canned goods received a 10 percent discount in the shops.
The Boutique Collective shares not only with the community, but also with one another, “trading marketing ideas, management ideas, camaraderie,” Seymour says.
Community Spirit
Indeed, many North Hills shop owners value the collaborative spirit they share with their fellow retailers. Tyler House’s Huggard mentions having dinner with Lisa Disbrow, owner of Scout & Molly’s one recent evening. “Somebody said to me: ‘I saw you out with the competition!’” She laughs, “The thing is, we like each other. We are competitors in a sense, but it’s always a friendly competition. That’s just part of being in a community.”
Being part of a community is a common theme among the retailers of North Hills, a community they share with each other as well as with their customers.
Crowder of Learning Express says she and her family are regulars at the weekly farmers’ market and summer music series; Huggard feels lucky she can “park for the day,” walking from her store to grab lunch, shop for groceries or pick up her dry cleaning.
Fantasia’s Tyre says one of her favorite things about the North Hills community is the dog-walking contingent. “We have a lot of people who window-shop while they walk their dogs, and I say, ‘We’re dog-friendly, come on in!’” When they do, they meet Lucy, Tyre’s 11-year-old Chihuahua, who surveys the scene every day from her fat cushion under the counter.

Bucking the Trend

It’s this kind of open-door friendliness that independent business owners like Tyre know makes a difference to her customers. Despite the strained economy, she and her fellow North Hills merchants say they’ve been able to count on their loyal customers.
The trend to support local businesses certainly helped this past Christmas. While national retail sales overall plummeted nearly 10 percent, independent retailers did twice as well. But in an economy like the one we’re in, “twice as well” still meant small businesses took a 5 percent hit.
Still, local independent retailers like the ones at North Hills say they’re determined and hopeful and thankful to their loyal clientele for understanding the importance of supporting small businesses.
“They’re coming to North Hills to shop because they’re people who care about a certain quality and good customer service,” says Cravings’ Seymour, “and because they care about and believe in small businesses. As long as this country’s been around, small business has been the backbone of our economy.”

YOUR FRIENDS AT NORTH HILLS
Jolly’s Jewelers & Silversmiths
Founded in 1881, family-owned Jolly’s is the oldest jeweler in NC. Raleigh native and owner Frank Ragsdale was a leader in creating the Falls Lake watershed.

Tyler House
Tyler House, one of Raleigh’s original classic ladies’ clothiers, is owned by former NCSU Lady Wolf Jennifer Huggard and features an on-site seamstress.

Cameron Clothing Co.
Husband and wife Marshall and Jenny Lamb are a team at work; they arrive together, share an office and take their coffee breaks together in North Hills.

Frances King Stationery & Lamb’s Ear
With her mother as the office manager, Broughton and UNC graduate Jeana Young is able to stay active in the community through her church, the Boys & Girls’ Club and the Food Bank.

Hot Point Café
Russian owner Nadya Kakhovsky learned English while working at JCPenney at North Hills before embracing her passion for neighborhood cafés with Hot Point.

Vivace
Husband and wife team Kevin and Stacey Jennings, owners of Urban Food Group, work to keep Vivace, “better than anything Chicago or New York could create,” with interior design by the Johnson studio and award-winning Italian food, as voted by Metro readers.

Coquette
Kevin and Stacey Jennings also operate Coquette, the only French Brasserie in the Triangle. By donating food and service, they support the Band Together event benefiting the Lucy Daniels Center and the Raleigh Roundup benefiting the American Cancer Society.

Quintessentials & Divine Collections
Owner Ann Divine Weaver has created one of Raleigh’s premier bridal registries and a collection of fine china, custom designed with her signature motif, the fern. Weaver, who began working full-time at age 70, has a passion for architecture and is very involved in the community.

Vermillion

Owner Ashley Vermillion Harris’ passion for designer clothing means that she and her husband Clyde carry lines not found anywhere else in Raleigh or the Triangle. They support VisionWalk and Artspace and assisted “A Walk for Wishes: Red Carpet Event” to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2009.

Certain Things
Owners Doug and Lu Harris of the Cameron Village store and daughter Jill of the North Hills store are active with the American Cancer Society, while staff members volunteer with Loaves & Fishes, Dress for Success and several other Wake County organizations.

Scout & Molly’s and Walk, a Scout & Molly’s Shoetique
Owner Lisa Disbrow combines shopping with fundraising in her effort to assist Multiple Sclerosis research. Disbrow, who has MS, chairs a team for the September MS Bike Ride. Disbrow is a mother of two, ages 4 and 5. She encourages customers to bring their dogs to the store, where they can meet Scout and Molly, Lisa’s Labradors.

Dilly Dally
Owners Rod and Angela Sikes Krause give customers tips to help with their new babies. Dilly Dally, named after Angela’s great-grandmother Mamma Dillie, is an independent retailer for baby and children’s furniture. Angela, an interior designer, will measure and help with nursery layout. The couple makes donations to organizations such as Picture This, Marbles and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Kids ’N Community.

Charlotte’s, Inc.
Owner Charlotte Harris’ business began on her kitchen table, where she first started selling jewelry. Today, the business is a family affair with daughter Stephanie operating the North Hills store. Harris organizes the annual AMF (Ailing Mothers and Fathers) auction that raises $50,000 in honor of Anne Marie Fajgenbaum who passed away from brain cancer.

Fantasia Boutique
Owner Christy Tyre incorporates her love of all things feminine, soft and lady-like into her fashion sense, making Fantasia one of Raleigh’s premier ladies’ boutiques for 23 years.

Learning Express
Sisters Jennifer Crowder and Lindsay Craven grew up in Durham, graduated from Wake Forest University, became mothers and own and operate this children’s toy store.

Luxe Apothecary
Perfume and makeup expert Fiquet Bailey strives to deliver the best of New York to her customers, including a strong male following due to its specialty services for men, including facials, waxing and makeup consultations. Bailey attended Saint Mary’s and NCSU College of Design. Her mother, Martha Michaels, is her business partner. Together they provide makeup for charity events like a recent event at Uniquities for Nancy’s Butterfly Fund, managed through Interact, and the Banana Republic Charity Fashion Show for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Liles Clothing Studio
NCSU coaches and Hurricanes players and staff shop at Liles for its on-site tailor, custom suits, shirts, jackets and trousers. Although owner Bruce Liles and Alex Naimee are both known for their long histories in men’s fashion, Liles also provides women’s tailoring and carries exclusives of some lines in the Raleigh/Triangle area.

Cravings, a Maternity Boutique

Despite never having been pregnant herself, owner Kim Seymour is an expert on maternity clothing. She attended UNC for her undergraduate degree and Virginia Commonwealth University for graduate school. Cravings contributes to dozens of local organizations, but Seymour is most proud of creating and running an event that raised over $30,000 in two years for Meals on Wheels. Recently she organized The Boutique Collective, a group of community-minded boutique owners in North Hills to promote philanthropic shopping events.

Traditions by Anna
Owner Anna Kemp ensures that Traditions is the local place to find high-end wedding and debutante dresses and also a store with a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. Family photos and an elegant yet traditional décor are some of the features that make up the ambiance.

J. Alane’s Fine Lingerie & Other Essentials
Owner Julie Hendricks had never worked retail before opening J. Alane’s. She says that she prefers spending time with her children over shopping. Her daughter, Emily, works in the store on weekends when she can. Hendricks gives back through breast cancer-related causes.

Gena Chandler
Owners and longtime friends Chandler Woodall and Gena Combs returned to Raleigh to open Gena Chandler when they were 25, after working in the New York fashion world. Both are active with Students of AMF (Ailing Mothers and Fathers), which Combs’ brother founded after their mother’s death due to cancer. The store also provides an internship program.

Pharaoh’s & George McNeill Antiques & Interiors
Owner George R. McNeill said that it was on a whim that he opened Pharaoh’s American Grill next to his antiques store, but it really took off. Clients of his antiques store include Elton John, Katie Couric and prominent local families.

Elaine Miller
Owner Elaine Miller developed her fashion sense at a young age as the daughter of a milliner in New York. Elaine Miller offers on-site certified diamond appraisals and is well known for its estate jewelry.

Mura
Owner G. Patel, an NCSU graduate from India, holds many charity events to raise money for Interact, SPCA, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and other groups.

Midtown & Bar 115
With a notable wine selection, Midtown & Bar 115 underwent renovations in January 2008 by the New City Design Group, known for its restaurant design specialty. Owned by community and business leaders Doyle Parrish (Summit Hospitality) and Dr. Steve Bolick (Eye Care Associates).

Kitchen & Bath Galleries
Owner Rachel Vaughn Roberts takes on the big boxes by maintaining a local and family atmosphere along with her husband, father and brother who all work in the business. She was born in Morehead City, attended Broughton and Appalachian State University and proudly supports local schools and charities, including Daniels, Broughton and Young Life.

The Spectacle
Owner Wick Morgan brings the best of Hollywood to Raleigh. For a year he flew from Malibu, CA, to Raleigh every eight days. Now that he lives permanently in Raleigh, where he is a full-time dad, he calls it the best decision he ever made. He organizes events to benefit WakeMed Pediatrics, Crohn’s Disease research and Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Walk for Wishes. He has worked with some of the most influential and creative designers in the luxury eyeware industry. He believes that eyewear should be an accessory, not a necessity.

Von Kekel
Owner Shawn Kekel’s Aveda lifestyle services can be specifically requested at the North Hills location, where he works onsite.

Haven
Guided by the philosophy of selling a lifestyle rather than just stuff, owner Jeannine Beckstrom fills the store with home décor merchandise that ranges from small gifts — such as soap or earrings — to furniture.

Kerry Catherine Jewelry
Kerry Catherine custom makes some of the pieces sold at her independent jewelry stores.

ArtSource Framing & Fine Art
Sharon Tharrington was born in Raleigh at old Rex Hospital on Wade Avenue. She attended Broughton and Emory University before partnering with her former competitor Nancy McClure to start ArtSource at age 24. MetroBravo Award winner for the past three years, ArtSource features emerging artists, as well as prominent artists, such as James Kerr and Gayle Stott Lowry. In recognition of her support of organizations such as NC Symphony, The Rex Foundation, Hospice of Wake County, WakeMed Heart Center, The NC Ballet, Interact of Wake County and St. Mary’s School, Tharrington has been honored with the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award.
Possibilities
Starting out with her first store in Carrboro over 20 years ago, owner Kathy Wilkerson says she takes pride in selling clothing made from natural fibers.

Flink’s Framing & Fine Art
Flink’s has been in the business for 20 years, with all framing done onsite and signed to show owner Robert Hensberry’s pride in his work. Flink’s also makes custom mirrors. Selection includes 22-karat wood mirror frames hand-carved in New York City.

The Q Shack
Duke graduate Tom Meyer supports local farms, education and high school athletics through programs such as VYPE Magazine’s Coach of the Month program and the NC Department of Agriculture’s Got to be NC program. Most Q Shack produce is locally grown and organic. The pork and poultry also come from local farms and are raised without hormones, steroids or growth additives. His wife is actively involved in the business and acknowledged for creating the atmosphere.

Uniquities & Uniquities Mix
Owner Julie Jennings and her husband Bret, owner and chef at Elaine’s in Chapel Hill, have three young children and season tickets to Wolfpack Basketball. Uniquities hosts the Nancy’s Butterfly Fund fashion show, in which both her 8- and 4-year-old daughters modeled recently.

Serotta’s
Founded in 1952 and known as a knowledgeable furrier, Serotta’s offers on-site, off-season fur storage. Owner Louis Serotta is from a family of New York City clothiers.

Brothers Cleaners
Twins Bob and Tom Hilker are the third generation to run Brothers Cleaners, which has been the family’s business since 1916. They have cleaned thousands of coats for the Coats for Kids charity and donated clothes to Helping Hands Mission and Goodwill.

CoolSweats
The popular Pinehurst fine comfort-wear source now has a location in North Hills.

Rodolfo Gonzales Interior Design
In Chicago, Rodolfo Gonzales designed at least one Baker Furniture showroom. A 30-minute segment on HGTV features a Chicago kitchen makeover by Gonzales. Bob Gross, his business partner, has a corporate CFO background.

McKenzie Tribe
North Hills has the only McKenzie Tribe location in NC, outfitting men in their famous jeans and other items.