In their own words
Deidre Weller, owner, of thistle in Charlevoix, MI in the store.
thistle
Member since: 2021 Owners: Deidre Weller Location: 205 Bridge St., Charlevoix Opened: 2016 Specialties: Women’s clothing, unique accessories and gifts, dog gifts
Story by RACHEL SCHRAUBEN Photos by STEVE JESSMORE Does your business have a unique story? Contact rschrauben@retailers.com.
Deidre Weller’s love for fashion took a backseat as she worked as a public accountant and then in healthcare finance for 30 years. However, during her shopping trips, she could see there were opportunities to improve customer service in some of the boutiques she frequented. While driving through downtown Charlevoix in 2018, she saw a retail space was available. Weller treated it as a sign – she was going to open a boutique where women would feel welcome, confident, and comfortable. Within 30 days, Weller had signed the lease, given notice to her employer, and began her journey as a small business owner of thistle, a women’s clothing boutique in the heart of downtown Charlevoix. This is her story, in her own words. When I was deciding on a name for the store, I knew I wanted it to be one word and I knew the color theme would involve purple. I created a list of possible names and kept going through it, showing it to friends and family. ‘thistle’ just caught my heart. After I chose the name, my mom gifted me a set of antique dishes from her mother that had emblems of thistles on them. I had no idea they existed and it made the name that much more special to me. We greet everyone when they come in. Our goal is to provide an exceptional shopping experience. I want
16
MICHIGAN RETAILER AUG / SEP 2021
