Those who have been missing the cheery atmosphere and quirky gifts of the Contoocook store Polkadots need not fear: The store is holding a soft reopening on Friday.
Sure, it’ll be under the new ownership of Annie, 28, and Susan, 57, Yonkers, but the mother-daughter team is committed to keeping the store’s tagline of “Something fun for everyone” intact.
Annie Yonkers said the pair got wind of the store being for sale at the end of September, when the previous owner decided to go in a new direction. Both women are retail veterans. Annie grew up working in retail, and while a student at Suffolk University in Boston, she worked her way through various stores. That included, she noted, a place called Black Ink in Cambridge, Mass., which she said gave the original owner inspiration for Polkadots.
Susan Yonkers has a particular tie to the location, as she previously operated a needlework gallery in the same spot for five years. She said people still visit the location looking for the store.
Annie grew up in Hopkinton after her parents moved from Boston when she was little.
“We knew it was a great opportunity, because the store was already successful,” Annie Yonkers said. “A lot of people are loyal to the store and I think this Fountain Square area of stores is growing into something special, a shopping destination.”
The two were also excited for the chance to work with each other. “We work well together,” Susan Yonkers said.
The store will stock a variety of items, such as gifts for babies and kids, light houseware, variety gifts and women’s grooming. New to the store will be men’s gifts and grooming products.
The store’s grand opening will be during Contoocook’s Starry Starry Weekend, scheduled for the first weekend in December.
(Caitlin Andrews can be reached at 369-3309, candrews@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @ActualCAndrews.)