The
MoDiv development in downtown Grand Rapids appears to have scored a trifecta: It provides affordable rent for retail entrepreneurs, a reason for shoppers to consider downtown Grand Rapids, and it adds more owner-operators to the downtown workforce.
For Sarah Ables, the owner of Chai Boutique, a specialty fashion store, the move from a strip mall on the NE side of Grand Rapids to the downtown destination as been transformational. "I fell in love with the concept of MoDiv as well as the atmosphere," Ables says. "I had always dreamed of a shop downtown and MoDiv made it possible due to lower rent payments and shorter lease options. The people in the area are a wonderful mix of individuals. From young to old, all ages and groups are starting to come back to the area. It is a great feeling just walking the streets of downtown [and] seeing life here again!"
Able takes inspiration for her store's selection from both vintage and contemporary fashions and says she positions her merchandise as boutique, style and budget friendly.
To learn more about Chai Boutique, visit their Facebook page
here.
Source: Sarah Ables, Chai Boutique
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor
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