Chelsea Stoddard, owner of Pop of Color. Photo by Christine Carignan.
After operating Queen City Cupcakes on Elm Street in Manchester for the past five years, owner Chelsea Stoddard thought the city’s downtown retail district needed some brightening. So when space opened five doors down, Stoddard launched Pop of Color, a gift boutique.
Stoddard is hoping to replicate the success of her cupcake business. Queen City Cupcakes succeeded from the start, almost always selling out long before its posted closing time. A few years ago, Stoddard set aside a small section of the cupcake shop to sell locally made gifts. When both the cupcake and gift sections of her business needed more space, Stoddard used savings from the cupcake business to open Pop of Color in August and expand her local product offerings.
Some of the shop’s merchandise is made in NH, including organic tea from White Heron in Portsmouth; wine from Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, Sweet Baby Vineyard in Hampstead and Jewell Towne Vineyards in South Hampton; NH-themed clothing from Talk It Up Tees in Litchfield; and ornamental jewelry from HeidiKindFinds in Concord.
A display of local food products available in the boutique. Photo by Christine Carignan.
Stoddard sees Pop of Color as an investment in Elm Street, which has a number of restaurants, bars and smoke shops but not enough retail options, she says. “Whenever I see a new business is moving in, I always think ‘please don’t let it be another restaurant or vape shop.”
Stoddard partially attributes the lack of retail to the size of many available spaces on Elm Street, which she says are often much bigger than a new small business owner would need or be able to afford. “Most retail has to start small,” says Stoddard. “Some of these spaces are big enough to be chopped in half and opened as two separate businesses. Unfortunately, landlords aren’t willing to offer smaller spaces or flex on rent.”
Bath and body care products on display. Photo by Christine Carignan.
Since opening in mid-August, Stoddard says the store has attracted a regular stream of customers, often pedestrians who happened to walk by. This prompted her to quickly order more product. She hopes Pop of Color will help prove the viability of retail on Elm. “I want to see Manchester become a retail destination like Portsmouth,” she says.
If her cupcake business is any indication, Pop of Color has the chance to be a downtown success. Five years after opening, Queen City Cupcakes bakes and sells hundreds of cupcakes daily for walk-ins. The bakery also has a thriving business creating cupcakes for weddings, catering three to five weddings each weekend. The business now employs seven people, all family members.
For more information, visit popofcolornh.com or qccupcakes.com.
Current Issue - May 2024