Bijou Gift Boutique Moves to Downtown Location
The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff, Ambassadors, and Board Members welcomed Joy Addington, owner of Bijou, to downtown Bluffton with a Ribbon Cutting on Monday, April 30 at 127 West Market Street.
Bijou has been located on the north side of the city for the past two years. Addington had to make a difficult decision this past December to either close the business or continue struggling to make ends meet.
Addington explained that her husband, Denny, looked at the old Masterson’s building and thought it would be a good location to move the business. “I honestly thought there is no way that I am going to move everything downtown, but he kept pushing me to go look at the space. I finally agreed and when I looked in the empty building and saw the beautiful window in the back and how open the space was, I could envision Bijou here.”
Addington and her family moved everything out of the old location in February and into the new Market Street location. “The walls were painted, the wood floor was re-done, and we found pieces of the old building and incorporated it into the décor. We wanted to keep a piece of Masterson’s intact and the area where the suites hung fit the Marketplace feel perfectly,” said Addington.
Bijou offers a wide variety of gifts for everyone and for yourself. Items such as home décor, antiques, jewelry, unique purses, and local artisan items are throughout the store. Addington also makes natural items such as body butter and bath balms, made with oils.
“The new location has been a blessing and the foot traffic has been wonderful with Dollar General next door. I have new customers coming in and the existing customers coming in to see the new place,” added Addington.
“We are glad to be downtown and want to continue to see the downtown flourish. We are thankful it worked out that we moved here, and it’s been a positive for the community and our goal is to be in a position to give back to worthy causes in the near future,” concludes Addington.
Pictured in photo left to right:
Erin Prible, Wells County Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director
Sarah MacNeill, Wells County Public Library, Chamber Board Member
Addie Hiser, PNC Bank, Chamber Ambassador
Rita Haneline, Markle Health and Rehabilitation, Chamber Ambassador
Erica Lehman, Coldwell Banker-Holloway, Chamber Ambassador
Kevin Pritchard, RUOFF Home Mortgage, Chamber Ambassador
Denny Addington, Bijou Gift Boutique
Nick Huffman, FC Tucker, Malcolm & Schlueter, Chamber Ambassador
Michael Lautzenheiser, Area Plan, Chamber Board Member
Jim Brewer, Ossian State Bank, Chamber Board Member
Phil Swain, PNC Bank, Chamber Board Member
Doug Brown, News-Banner, Chamber Ambassador
Mayor Ted Ellis