Virginia home goods retailer Lazy Daisy, known for upcycled furniture and handmade gifts, is opening its first franchise store near Town Center this month.
The Virginia Beach location at 4001 Virginia Beach Blvd. will be the ninth in Virginia, where it started in Richmond in 2011. Customers come to find home decor, antiques, jewelry, food items and other creative treasures.
Heather Reynolds, the first franchisee, said she first discovered Lazy Daisy in Williamsburg and was attracted to the layout and unique items. The regional chain also operates a store in the Tabb area of York County.
“It has an incredibly inspiring and peaceful atmosphere,” Reynolds said. “The open floor concept allows each artisan to fully express their creativity in their own unique space. It blends seamlessly with the rest of the marketplace.”
That marketplace is a lively hub of creativity, she added, and each artisan is carefully selected to reflect the style and decor that Lazy Daisy is known for.
The 11,000-square-foot Virginia Beach store will serve as a venue to more than 50 vendors, including business owner Heather Chirdon.
“This business model is a way to expand your small business without the overhead and other responsibilities of a traditional brick-and-mortar,” she said.
She added you don’t have to worry about utility bills, employees, maintenance, long leases or other owner responsibilities.
Chirdon, who owned Refine on West Great Neck Road, is familiar with the model after adapting her business to sell in the Painted Tree, a chain with a large Laskin Road location that rents space to shop vendors.
When she first opened Refine in August 2019, Chirdon had focused on the aesthetic side and services such as body toning, cryofacials and body slimming. She ran a boutique as a supplement there because she thought the Shore Drive corridor could use more retail options.
“COVID forced us to pivot into more of the boutique side, and it really had a major impact on our revenue,” she said. “We had a lot of momentum despite the pandemic, and local customers loved the ability to shop local during the holidays.”
The expansion of the boutique led her to Painted Tree in 2022, and she has since expanded into six other Painted Tree locations. While adapting to changing retail trends, she closed her own brick-and-mortar boutique in August. She will continue her Refine presence in Painted Tree and focus on online sales.
Chirdon said she’s excited to sell with Lazy Daisy to expand her business to the Town Center area. And by having store staff take care of day-to-day sales, Chirdon said she has more time to focus on other avenues.
Michelle Leshok, owner and founder of Lazy Daisy, said each vendor is special and unique.
“They have so many stories to tell themselves about how the store has changed their lives,” Leshok said.
For more information, visit lazydaisygiftstore.com. Interested vendors can email [email protected].
Lee Belote, [email protected]
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