Maya McFadden Photos
Sweatsuit in hand, DeLauro turns to book shopping.
A green sweatsuit at More Amour Boutique called out to U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, and she couldn’t resist. She bought it while encouraging New Haveners to shop local for the holiday season.
The “Oh So Chic” velour pant and hoodie set went home with DeLauro as she joined Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Mayor Justin Elicker, and a dozen city staff members for a tour of The Shops at Yale district to encourage the public to keep their holiday gift spending local at New Haven’s small businesses.
The local leaders made three stops Monday morning, first to More Amour Boutique at 43 Whalley Ave., then Grey Matter Books at 264 York St., and finally to Neville Wisdom’s Fashion Design Studio at 27 Broadway.
Bysiewicz reported that over 350,000 small businesses employ 48 percent of Connecticut’s total residents. “When you support a small business, you’re supporting employment and your community,” she said.
She added that if families spend at least $10 a month at a local business, it will generate $9.3 billion to the state’s “economic activity.”
She also reminded business owners that the Women’s Business Development Council’s Equity Match Grant Program application opens in January.
DeLauro encouraged residents to avoid shopping at overwhelming large department stores and to shop at local businesses that make shopping a fun and personal experience she said.
“You create strong communities,” DeLauro told the business owners. “You make our city vibrant and alive.”
DeLauro reported that 70 cents of each resident’s dollar remains within the community when shopping local. She added that local businesses are three times more likely to donate to local charities, schools, and programs.
Rosa seals the deal on purchase of new sweatsuit.
At More Amour Boutique, owner Kimberly Sewell-Poole told Bysiewicz that business lately has been slow since the start of the cold weather. They discussed ways to attract more customers. Bysiewicz promised to connect Sewell-Poole with the owners of a women’s boutique in Hartford who do customer outreach through weekly virtual stylings that keep customers “coming back to see what’s new each week,” she told Sewell-Poole.
“Supporting our business is supporting our dreams,” Sewell-Poole said.
Bysiewicz and DeLauro shopped around the shop’s racks full of trendy pieces. Sewell-Poole said this season’s favorites have been puffer jackets, velour, teddy vest, long flannels, and women’s fedora hats.
Since she opened in March, Sewell-Poole said business has been up and down. She has since opened a second shop location at the Milford mall in September and launched the shop’s website.
Neville Wisdom, Sam Burton, and Kimberly Sewell-Poole.
Grey Matter Books opened in March of 2019. Owner Sam Burton said while updating Elicker on trends at the shop. His biggest customers: Yale students looking for classics.
He said that during the peak of the pandemic last year, business was slow once. Since he reopened, the shop began giving out books for free. The past nine months have seen strong sales, he said.
Burton said he has received support and help with managing his shop’s website from Yale and the city.
City Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli described the owners as “champions of small businesses.” He thanked them for their resiliency and dedication.
The city’s economic development team has provided marketing and technical assistance to business owners to help them keep afloat. “Recovery is a process,” he said.
Wisdom shows the team around the studio.
During the group’s stop to Neville Wisdom’s studio, Bysiewicz searched the racks for another “compliment guaranteed” dress like the one she bought from the shop in 2019.
Bysiewicz; Wisdom’s dress design won her Lt. Gov seat.
Bysiewicz said the pieces she has bought from Wisdom have been unique and “fit to me.” She thanked him for one specific dress, designed and tailored for her, that she said helped her to win her statewide race three years ago.
Wisdom walked DeLauro, Elicker, and Bysiewicz through the shop’s eco-friendly digital designing machines and mask making process with recycled fabric.
Despite Elicker’s dislike for shopping, he said, “when you walk down this environment to shop at these businesses, it feels less stressful.”
He too encouraged residents to shop downtown and throughout New Haven for holiday gifts from small shops that will be one of a kind.
Susan Bysiewicz searches for next colorful Neville Wisdom piece.
DeLauro and Bysiewicz agreed to work together to change Elicker’s mind about shopping.
“How can anyone hate shopping?” DeLauro joked.
“This is the place to do it,” she added.
So the pols do a tour of small businesses that only have Yale as landlords? What about the businesses in Westville, East Rock, Ninth Square, Chapel West, Whalley Ave? It would be nice to see the city engage with and encourage shopping local at the small businesses that aren't Yale approved