With stores like Lilly Pulitzer, White House Black Market, L.L. Bean, Arhaus and Crate & Barrel, Legacy Village isn’t a typical shopping mall. But it’s not yet become a hub for boutiques, either. Locally Spruced is bridging that gap.
The collaborative shop brings more than a dozen Ohio small businesses to the shopping mall’s epicenter across from its green space. Between the variety of vendors — with products ranging from clothing, accessories, home goods and food — many call this their first permanent home. Locally Spruced founders Randi Gilmore and Carl DeScott, who operate their own small business, Basil & Rex, understand the gravity of that luxury.
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Last year, Basil & Rex had a storefront at City Goods in one of seven creative hangars along Ohio City’s West 28th Street. It was announced in January that these would close and be restructured. In the few months between, many of the businesses relocated to different storefronts, or moved their operations primarily online. Gilmore and DeScott shortly stuck around as 14 vendors condensed to one hangar, but they, too, designed a new storefront for Basil & Rex behind the scenes. Now, they celebrate their gourmet pet products in a space all their own at Locally Spruced, among other like-minded business owners. Each was hand-picked specially by Gilmore and DeScott.
“We were looking for a certain quality of products,” Gilmore says. “It actually happened very quickly and easily considering the amount of work it takes. Everything really fell in line like it was supposed to.”
In a space like Legacy Village that’s condensed with big corporate brands, Gilmore reports that Locally Spruced has quickly fit in and felt the love since opening its doors on June 14.
“Legacy [Village] was very supportive of us in our idea,” she says. “What we are doing for these brands, they're doing for us — just really supportive and promoting us. We really liked their attitude and their business model.”
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But it hasn’t lost sight of its roots. Locally Spruced retains its small business feel by hosting pop-up events with temporary vendors and organizations. Additionally, a separate dedicated classroom space allows business owners to host classes and other experiences, beyond shopping, that celebrate their product.
Gilmore believes that small businesses should feel they have the space to thrive in Cleveland. They shouldn’t need a big city to make it big, she says. That’s the mission behind Locally Spruced.
“It's an organic shopping mall experience, but it's not the big-name brands,” she says. “We're not reinventing the wheel by any means. But we are, I think, taking it to a newer height and showing that Ohio brands are high-end, that Ohio brands are quality and that we do belong in places like Legacy [Village] and Crocker Park.”
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