Imagine That celebrates 10-years

By Marc Boissoneau
Sun contributor

It goes without saying that Glen Arbor and Empire have no shortage of gift shops. So when Carolyn Brown opened Imagine That Eclectic Art and Gifts in April of 2003, she wanted to ensure her store was different.

“I try to have really unique items you don’t find in other gift shops,” she says. “I have things from local artists, as well as artists from around the country.”

For instance, she stocks handmade earrings and necklaces by local artists. “And even things that are produced are special somehow,” she says, gesturing to a line of jewelry in colorful sleeves.

“It’s personalized — people connect to it.”

As an interior designer in her winter home of South Carolina, Brown included the store’s layout as part of her plan to set Imagine That apart. “I change the setup each year, so I start with a blank slate. Then I create focal points, ‘pop’ displays that I hope draw people in and make them want to stay.

“I put bold items up front and create little vignettes that are going to catch your eye,” she explains. “It’s not just stuff on shelves; I want it to have a look. “I try to foster the illusion that the store’s bigger than it is,” she adds with a chuckle.

Since the store, located between Petoskey Pete’s and Bethlehem Lutheran Church, is so tiny, Brown makes especially sure to stock it with interesting items. Among her favorites are fish-shaped sculptures made from soup cans by an artist from the Upper Peninsula. However, as a designer, she also takes a special interest in selling home décor.

“People can take something that’s useful in their home, but it’s also a reminder of here,” she says.

Brown sees the store not as merely a holding place for her wares, but as the site of an experience for buyers. “I try to make it a very happy experience,” she says. “I want people to come in feeling good and leave feeling good.”

To that end, Brown has expanded not only her stock but the genres of her offerings over the past decade. She now has small sections devoted to pets and gardens, two areas not included in the original store. She’s not trying to be all things to all people, she explains, but does want to represent as many parts of her customers’ lives as possible.

And when Brown considers her decade in business, it’s her customers she thinks of first. “It’s exciting to see people come back, but also to get a new round of people every year.

“I started the shop because I came up here as a yearly family tradition, and I wanted to be able to live and work in the area,” she says. “It’s so rewarding to be part of this community.”

Although Brown’s customers are largely women in their 30s and 40s, she hopes to continue appealing to everyone. “There are a lot of grandmas who come in to get gifts,” she says of her children’s section, a primary area of her sales. “I’m getting more male-focused things, too.”

“It’s just fun stuff,” she enthuses.

As Brown’s customer and stock bases have grown, so have other aspects of the business. When she began, she worked alone; now, she has four employees.

Furthermore, in 2007, she opened a satellite shop inside The Red Dresser, in Traverse City, to operate year-round. “I was just touring around Traverse City, and I went in and started talking to Tammy [Simerson], the owner,” Brown recalls. “It started with a very small space, but it’s grown over the six years.”

As to her anniversary, Brown is proud of what she’s accomplished. “It’s a big deal to me,” she says. Yet she also looks forward to both the immediate future and years to come.

Imagine That Eclectic Art and Gifts is located at 5978 South Lake St. in Glen Arbor. For more information, call (231) 334-0111, or visit ImagineThatUpNorth.com.