Shop Made in DC Co-Founder Stacey Price discusses store’s increasing role in D.C. community.
We’ve been following Shop Made in DC’s growth ever since its opening in October, eager to see a store that features locally-made products just off of DuPont Circle in our nation’s capital. Only three months have passed, but Shop Made in DC has already exceeded Co-Founder Stacey Price’s hopes for the store’s success.
In this week’s episode of The Manufacturing Report podcast, Price discusses how Shop Made in DC has cultivated D.C.’s community of makers, leveraging a consumer base searching for more ways to buy locally-made goods—part of a growing national desire for more local and small business retail options.
“I really thought that we would need more messaging and more explanation to the consumer to tell them what we were doing. I thought that the consumer would walk in and say, ‘This is a cool new store,’ and then we’d have to train our staff to really tell the story, but the consumer gets it. And they got it from day one. They walked in and said, ‘Finally a place where we can support our city,’” said Price.
Since opening, Shop Made in DC has sold products from sixty-five D.C. businesses, and the store’s makers have collectively earned close to $200,000 in sales, but Price plans to make way for even more makers to be spotlighted.
Listen or download the episode below to learn more about how Price plans to support new makers and expand Shop Made in DC beyond its current retail space.
Also, be sure to visit Shop Made in DC this Wednesday, Jan. 17, the store’s Customer Appreciation Day, for discounts on retail items and food as well as samples and giveaways.