AliShops Blog » Green

A new eco-spa in St. Paul

Ali — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:16:19 +0000

Eco-tique on Grand Avenue in St. Paul has morphed into Nature of Beauty, as the online retailer has gradually taken over the entire space with its eco-friendly skincare and cosmetics. But not one to remain idle for long, owner Terry Bly is planning a big move to The Village at Mendota Heights, where she will open a Nature of Beauty store and spa, offering a full menu of massage facials and body treatments using organic products. She’ll be bringing on spa-grade brands, so you can be green and get a glycolic peel. The store will open Oct. 1 followed by the spa on Nov. 1.

Bibelot’s new pursuit: Old clothes

Ali — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:28:51 +0000

Organic cotton tees just aren’t enough anymore. Veteran Twin Cities gift and clothing store Bibelot is getting into the used clothing business. Rewear will open on the second floor of the Como store in mid-July. Fall and winter women’s apparel, size 4 to 14, in “like new” condition is now being collected. When selected items have been priced, customers will receive 50 percent of the resale value on a Bibelot gift card. If it seems an unlikely choice for an independent shop that makes itself a draw with high-quality, unique items that aren’t always the cheapest, Bibelot says its customers want to recycle and refresh their wardrobes at the same time.

Shades of green

Ali — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:28:06 +0000

It’s not easy being green – so Twin Cities Green is becoming Moss Envy. The new store will open June 19 at 3056 Excelsior Blvd. near Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, next to Whole Foods. It will still be green, but a little less GREEN as owners Ryan and Tina North try to move from niche to mainstream lifestyle store selling a broader range of goods, from furniture to clothing – all of which happens to be eco-concious. (Read more about the evolution of Twin Cities Green and the green movement in my Savvy Shopper column.) May 28 will be Twin Cities Green’s final day at 2405 Hennepin Ave. S. in Uptown. A moving sale is on now.

First store closing of the year

Ali — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:29:35 +0000

As the holiday hangover lifts, reality sets in. January tends not to be the most joyful month for retail…shoppers are burned out, not ready to think spring and store owners are facing facts. First to announce their closing: South Minneapolis eco-friendly store Birch. The good news is, they will continue to exist online. And with that news comes the closing sale. See Sales/Specials for details on this and many other January sales.

Shopping with green guru Danny Seo

Ali — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:27:25 +0000

Got a question? Need some help? You could wander around a store forever. But quietly stroll the sales floor with a notebook in hand and managers appear out of thin air. Today's locale: JC Penney at Rosedale Center. My shopping companion: green lifestyle expert Danny Seo, designer of JC Penney's very own Simply Green home line. There he was, picking up one of his own pillows when a manager with a clipboard surfaced offering to "help us." What she really meant was: who are you and what are you doing that may get me in trouble with corporate? Danny, who is a fixture on the JC Penney website, not to mention the author of best selling books, a magazine columnist and frequent guest on national shows like, oh, Oprah, couldn't have been more cordial, but it was clear he was a little hurt. "I work for JC Penney," he told her, and recited the names and numbers of folks in the corporate office to verify this. "He's decorated for Tobey Maguire!" I offered. The manager retreated. We finished shopping. At least he gets a corporate card, which he used to pay for around $100 of his own merch, which he'll give away on Shop Girls Saturday, June 20.
Read more about my shopping spree with Danny in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on June 21.