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Old City Philly boutique store Philadelphia Independents announced that it’s closing its doors for good at the end of this year, after over 12 years in business.
“We have loved our ‘small but mighty’ spot in Old City, all of our fabulous neighbors, amazing customers, and of course all of our makers that made it all possible,” shop co-founders Tiffica Benza, Ashley Peel and Jennifer Provost wrote on Instagram.
In a sea of mass-produced Liberty Bells, Rocky/Apollo Creed boxing trunks and Phanatic birthday cards, the store has been an island for tourists and locals alike, offering a curated selection of handmade items made by local artists. The baby onesies, scented candles, greeting cards and pretzel earrings were all undeniably Philly.
“We have really been at the forefront of seeing Philly’s independent artist scene explode and have been fortunate to foster a lot of makers’ careers,” Peel wrote in an email responding to questions about the closure “We’ve seen makers being able to quit their day jobs to focus on creative endeavors full time and helped them hone their skills. We have commissioned a lot of our makers for certain products too that our customers have loved.”
The brick and mortar store on North 3rd Street and its online website will remain open until Dec. 24, or sooner if its inventory runs out before then.
After the store closes, Peel encourages those who want to keep shopping small and local to check out the many craft markets that will be happening this spring.
Peel said that Benza, Provost and her were leaving the store on a high note to explore other creative opportunities. She added that the store had been profitable all 12-and-a-half years it had been open.
“Anyone who has worked retail knows that there are always ups and downs, but we represent over 50 Philly makers whose creativity and unique products are an easy sell for someone looking to buy something actually handmade and locally made,” Peel said.
Peel said that they’ll miss the community and vibrancy of their Old City neighborhood and working with the makers whose work stocked the shelves.
One thing they’ll miss is comments about the store’s giant front door, which is painted white on the outside and “whipped strawberry” on the inside. Peel said that remarks about how big the door is were a constant greeting by people after entering the store.
“We’ve joked around that we had to hear ‘wow, that’s a big door’ and ‘it smells so good in here’ for over 12 years,” Peel elaborated. “We love it!”
