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FeedSay Hello to Some Good Buys
A handful of new or expanded shops and salons bring even more excitement to the local shopping scene.
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For Michiko Seto, business is blooming in a big way. In January, she moved her Rehoboth Beach store, Blooming Boutique, to larger digs next door (216B Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, 226-3300, bloomingboutique.com), nearly doubling her space. The next month, she moved her Lewes store to space formerly occupied by Wildflowers. The new store (107 Second St., Lewes, 644-4052) gives her triple the space.
That’s not all. Seeing a void in Lewes, she opened a gift shop in Blooming Boutique’s old Lewes location. Lewes Gifts (118 Second St., Lewes, 644-7880) features an assortment of goodies, including candles, cards, paper products, home decor, flags and wind chimes. “We’re the only store in town selling Lewes clothing: sweatshirts, golf shirts, T-shirts—that’s a big part of the store,” she says.
Couple that with the August opening of a Milford location and her already up-and-running Bethany Beach store (98 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach, 541-4119), and you can see why Seto is continually on the move. “It’s very busy but good busy,” she says.
With the increase in space, she’s expanded her collection of cotton clothing, made in the United States. Blooming Boutique is also known for shoes, jewelry, accessories and a large assortment of charm beads from such manufacturers as Trollbeads, Chamilia and Halia. (The Delaware beads—a lighthouse, Rehoboth bead and Bethany bead—give collectors a wearable vacation souvenir.)
As Blooming Boutique illustrates, the economy may dip and drop faster than a celebrity on “Dancing with the Stars,” but the beach remains a viable stage for business openings and expansions.
Del Sol, for instance, moved into Blooming Boutique’s former location in Rehoboth (216A Rehoboth Ave., 226-9090, delsol.com). The nearly 4-year-old shop was formerly located at First Street Station. “Now we’re in the mix of all the shopping,” says co-owner Greg Becker. “We have so much more visibility.”
Del Sol specializes in clothing and products that react to the sun. A black-and-white T-shirt bursts into color in sunlight. Pink nail polish turns purple. Jewelry and toys also brighten when they see the sun.
The bright idea for Jen Mason’s new business came while she was meditating. In April, she debuted Biblion (205 Second St., Lewes, 644-2210, biblionbooks.com), located in Thistles’ old space. Mason, a former development director turned writer and editor, specializes in “used books and rare finds,” which include contemporary as well as antique books.
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