Thorne’s of Concord overcomes stigma around sexuality to succeed on Main Street

By SCOTT MERRILL

Business NH Magazine

Published: 04-27-2023 7:07 PM

Christie Williams is very conscientious about her choice of words when describing her business. Williams is the owner of Thorne’s of Concord on Main Street, a “personal health and wellness” boutique that sells lingerie, massage oils and a variety of other adult products by appointment only seven days a week.

“Describing ourselves is very tricky because sex and sexuality, so many of the things that describe what we do as a business are red-flag buzzwords,” says Williams, who adds that because of the way algorithms work, many words that might be associated with the type of products her store sells also categorize those products in a way she wishes to avoid. “We want to be very clear about what it is we are and what we are not.”

Thorne’s of Concord Manager James Roesener, who was elected as State Rep. for Merrimack District 22 in November, becoming the first transgender man to be elected to a U.S. legislature according to the Victory Fund, says employees of the store have a passionate level of connectedness to the industry, and the store has a different appeal for customers than other stores selling similar products.

Williams, in her mid-40s, has worked at Thorne’s of Concord since the summer of 2000. The business was started by Robert and Beverly Smith of Concord in 1982, and the store’s namesake comes from Thorne’s shoe store in Concord, opened in 1834 and the place where Robert Smith worked as a boy. The couple eventually bought out the name and began selling products that ranged from lingerie to military surplus items in the 80s. Williams bought the business from the Smiths in September 2019. “I eventually convinced Beverly, who also ran the lab at Concord Hospital for many years, to retire at the ripe young age of 87,” she says. “It was always important for Beverly and Bob to be available to all of the community and to recognize that these [products] are feel-good, fun things to enhance your life.”

Williams, who says her competition is completely online, decided during the COVID-19 pandemic to shift to appointment-based shopping only.

“COVID gave people the time and space to think about their health and wellness in new and different ways. And the fun twist on that was when the fitness centers closed down, a lot of people began looking for different outlets,” she says.

Appointments help to ensure repeat customers leave the store feeling satisfied, she says. “Make an appointment, come and see us, and we’ll help you navigate the landscape. We say, ‘come in here and let us help you find what you’re looking for.’ ”

William’s selection of products has been curated, she says, in order to be body safe for users as well as sex and body positive.

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