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Everything tthat You Never Knew Yo You o Needed! The Bowerbird Presents the U Unusual, as Usual! by RONA / Photos Photos by by Jeff Jeffery Lilly by RonaMANN Mann / Lilly Quick question: How do you put a label on The Bowerbird? Quick answer: You don’t. Quick question: Is The Bowerbird just another gift shop? Quick answer: Who said it was “just a gift shop” to begin with? Quick Question: Is The Bowerbird a summer seasonal gift shop catering to tourists? Long answer: Keep reading!
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t is nearly impossible to encapsulate The Bowerbird in Old Lyme because gift shops come and go. This southern New England treasure is presently in its fourth decade with fans not only in New England but throughout the United States and the world. It was and is the brainchild of its creator (for owner seems a frivolous name for all this place is and has), Chris Kitchings, who as a small child growing up in Ohio was an entrepreneur in the making. “As a little girl I had a cigar box and was always scheming for a way to make money y. I even charged my brother for things.” Although that little girl grew into a big girl and found herself at the Connecticut shore, she never stopped looking for the unusual, coming up with wondrous ideas, and buying unique, new w,, and inventive items that she enjoyed showing other people. Even though Kitchings has several computers filled with her vast inventory y, it is difficult for her to pin down just how many items are sold in her store and throughout her online store. “I know it’s easily over 10,000 items,” she laughs, then she looks to her right-hand woman for confirmation. This remarkable individual is Kirsten Fedors who has been with Kitchings for more than 20 years. “I came here as a teenager and have grown up here,” Fedors adds. When asked what her title or position is, the two women are stumped. “Managerr, buyerr,, liaison between vendors and store, and on and on it goes. It appears Kirsten is well more than an employee just as The Bowerbird is well more than a gift shop. Due to space limitations, we can only mention some of the departments because it is virtually impossible to list them all, so swiftly the merchandise changes sometimes on a day-to-day basis. “Sometimes I look at a display featuring a new item and wonderr, when did we get that?” Chris Kitchings says with a smile. The child entrepreneur grown to adulthood seems so laid back, but make no mistake, she knows her business because she knows people, and
Owner Chris Kitchings and Manager Kirsten Feders
