In the midst of 2020, Denise Sheridan took over as store manager at Colorado Springs’ 25-year-old boutique, Colorado Co-op.
With her childhood memories wrapped up with moments of helping her mother run her own store, textures, fabrics, life, and community between women developed some sense of a second nature rhythm for Denise to allow retail to become her career. Her long history of shopping in the store prior to filling the role has created a wonderful space to work from as she stepped into a prominent buying role at Colorado Co-op. She’s worked hard to incorporate a handful of formerly carried brands that the shoppers of Colorado Springs cherished, as well as to incorporate many new lines. With denim by the brand, Mother, handmade jewelry by a globally recognized maker that goes by the name OUI, formal outfits with the perfect fabric feel, and elevated Colorado casual mixed in-between, this staple of our city is feeling fresh.
The Relationship
What really makes Colorado Co-op is the relationship that becomes in the midst of shopping. We all need clothing, but shopping in a place where the people feel familiar and the quality of clothing feels reliable makes it feel different. You can pop in and be helped to put an entire outfit together for a special occasion or for the day-to-day. The accessories are so good, sometimes that's all that is needed to make something you have at home really pop. From head to toe, Denise and her team work hard to curate small quantities of unique pieces so that customers are not seeing the same pieces on others around town.
“We focus on small niche lines from all over the world and work hard to bring things into the store that you will not find anywhere else.” It’s convenient to shop locally and feel set for the occasion, whatever it might be.
Who’s shopping at Colorado Co-op? It is a broad demographic including 20 somethings all the way up to octogenarians. Denise shares, “We also have several male customers who enjoy shopping for their spouses more than the spouses do or come in for that special occasion gift. They all have unique styles, but all appreciate the quality of merchandise we are presenting.”
The Holidays
Speaking of shopping, with holidays right under our nose, this beautifully refined shop is anticipating the holidays with glee. There is a carefully curated selection of clothing coming in from Halston, gift items aplenty, scarves in from New York, and their traditional offering of paperwhite and amaryllis bulbs from Holland this year with beautiful options to pair them with.
I appreciate the frequency of the window updates, the fresh florals outside during warmer months, their participation in community events, and the way they celebrate life’s ordinary moments as well as the big, extra special ones by fitting us in just the right pieces. As we all prepare to dote on the ones we love with boxes of much-anticipated kindnesses this season, let’s skip the stress of shipping delays and shop locally. The heart of a good city is in the mom and pops, always. Let’s utilize the beauty of this one and gift special goods to the ones we love.
Website: https://coloradoco-op.com/
Facebook + Instagram: @coloradocoop