Apothecary Off Main leaves the downtown MoDiv for a suite in The Morton this June

Currently located at 40 Monroe Center in the downtown Grand Rapids retail incubator MoDiv, boutique general store Apothecary Off Main announced plans this week to relocate to a larger suite in 76 Monroe Center's The Morton,, with its reopening slated for early next month. 

From hand soaps and bath and body items to gourmet kitchen supplies, aromatherapy and candles, and specialized products for men, Apothecary Off Main features a variety of “general store” items handcrafted by new and growing vendors and other local artisans. 

“It has been amazing to be able to be a part of MoDiv, and we could not be more delighted to grow into a new, larger space in the heart of downtown,” says Jill Devan, Apothecary Off Main’s store director. "As our city has grown, we have been able to welcome so many people to our shop. As our client base has increased, we began looking at a larger space that will allow us to continue to grow the number of products we offer.”

While retail incubators like MoDiv offer flexible retail spaces that help new startups and entrepreneurs eliminate some of the risk associated with building a new business or growing a brand, the eventual migration to a more customized, independent space is exactly the point, says Mike Mraz, managing partner of Real Estate at Rockford Construction, which runs MoDiv. 

“Apothecary Off Main joins a growing list of businesses who start in a small suite, and grow into their own retail storefronts,” Mraz says. “MoDiv offers a unique opportunity to lease a space in a great location for as short as one year, providing flexibility and low startup costs to new businesses.”

With its very first location originating in Vista, Cali., Apothecary Off Main’s relocation to The Morton represents both the growth of its own business operations and the larger growth of retail in general throughout downtown Grand Rapids, something Devan and her team credit largely to the culture of the local community. 

“People living in and visiting downtown seek out shopping,” she says. “Offering unique products in a location that is easy to visit is key, and we enjoyed being in a shared space as we established the store.”

And although The Morton might not offer quite as close of quarters as its former shared space at MoDiv, it affords Apothecary Off Main a larger place to grow without sacrificing the sense of community it has come to value.  

“We are looking forward to not only being in a bigger space, but also being in the same building as more than 100 downtown residents,” Devan says.

Written by Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Rockford Construction Co.