ON OCTOBER 12, 2024 Elli Parr Boutique Will Make A SHELBURNE SQUARE STOREFRONT its new home
09/13/2024 04:14PM ● By WENDIE PECHARSKY
Little did Sara Nelson know that when she started making beaded bracelets while on maternity leave from her corporate marketing job, it would turn into a successful jewelry and lifestyle brand sold in more than 90 stores across New England, including her own brick-and-mortar boutiques in Vermont.
But when Sara discovered that pursuing her “hobby” gave her more pleasure than working for a large corporation, she decided to turn it into a business, and that’s when her brand, Elli Parr, was born.
THE BOUTIQUE’S BEGINNINGS
For close to four years, the Elli Parr Boutique has been housed on the second floor of the old Shelburne Inn, selling not only her own brand of handmade jewelry but accessories, homewares, and beauty products from other small brands. There, Sara and her staff created a space not only for retail sales, jewelry production, and order fulfillment but also to host jewelry-making workshops, kids’ birthday parties, ear piercing, and even bridal showers. “A lot happens in a tiny little footprint,” Sara says.
Then, in 2023, Sara opened a second Elli Parr shop in Middlebury that was solely a retail space. “Our model was working well in Shelburne, and we wanted to offer our products to more Vermonters in other markets. Middlebury was one of our first choices due to the proximity from home and the “small-town feel” that resembled Shelburne village,” Sara says.
The checkout area at Elli Parr’s new flagship location in Shelburne Square in South Burlington.
CONSOLIDATING TO CREATE A NEW FLAGSHIP LOCATION
Now, however, because of a new sales strategy
and the need for even more space, Sara has
decided to create a flagship Elli Parr location
in Shelburne Square on IDX Drive in South Burlington, where it will occupy a ground-floor
space and have the necessary square footage
not only for retail sales but also for production
and order fulfillment as well as to host workshops and other community events.
“We’ve experienced exponential growth in our current location in Shelburne, but it is hard for people to see and get to because it’s on the second floor,” Sara says. “But our new location in Shelburne Square is only a few minutes from our current location and is much more convenient for our customers. It’s street level and has ample parking. It’s a much bigger space than our present location [in Shelburne], which will allow us to create a much stronger customer experience and a more efficient business operation. We’ll have separate creative offices for design and production and a luxe ear-piercing studio.”
Jewelry production at Elli Parr.
The new flagship will also offer “open beading” opportunities, which means customers can come in any day of the week to make their own jewelry, whereas before, the stores offered that service only on Tuesdays.
Once Sara decided to move her primary store to Shelburne Square, she also decided to part ways with her Middlebury storefront and merge with a collective down the road. “This will allow our team to focus on the new flagship store and its widespread offerings but still keep our brand alive in Middlebury, just in a new way.
A GRAND OPENING IS SET FOR OCTOBER
The big move will take place on October 12, Sara says, and the Shelburne Inn and
Middlebury shops will remain open until the
new space is up and running. “For our grand
opening, we’ll do a three-day event that Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday.”
Sara is excited to showcase her best- selling items in the new space. “Our beaded bracelets are probably our best sellers,” Sara says. “And what’s interesting is that beaded bracelets were some of the first styles I made almost ten years ago. Of course, our styles have evolved, but we have noticed that our customers create custom bracelet stacks with pieces they have acquired over the years.
“Another big seller is our Huggies. They’re mini hoops that kind of hug the earlobe. They’re simple and small enough that you never have to take them off. And we make a variety of those.”
When asked if she has a favorite collection, Sara says, “We do these chunky, one-of-a-kind opal necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. And what’s so fun about those is we get a big shipment of authentic Indian and African opals, which come on a strand of yarn, and we dump every single bead in a large bowl, and then we make custom pieces with those stones in a variety of different patterns. Every single piece we design in a collection like this is exclusive and bespoke,” she reiterates. “Those jewelry pieces are not only the most fun to create because they’re all unique but also the most fun to sell because you know whoever’s buying one is getting a piece like no other.”
Green onyx Lennox earrings.
A COLLECTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
Though she owns the business and is the
brains behind the operation, Sara is not
the only jewelry maker. “Every person who
works with us has a hand in production
and fulfillment, which is another reason I
love that it’s not my name on the company.
It’s all of us; it’s a very collective collaborative effort.”
In fact, as a brand, Elli Parr has grown far beyond Sara’s initial expectations. “Not only do we offer our products direct to consumers but we also wholesale our pieces to other retailers throughout the US and Canada. We’re in over ninety independent retail and specialty stores, including about a dozen retailers right here in Vermont, including Common Deer in Burlington, Addie & Grace in Essex, Woody’s Mercantile in Woodstock, Addison West in Waitsfield, and Mirror Mirror in Stowe.”
That’s quite an achievement for a brand that started as a hobby. “I want to thank everyone for their continued support,” Sara says. “We are thrilled about this next step in our small business journey, and we can’t wait to offer a bigger and better customer experience than ever before.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELLI PARR
