Need a special gift? Something affordable? Prefer to patronize a small local business?
You’ll find all that and more at Tweed.
In business since 2004 at 4035 Lauderdale Drive in Henrico County, the shop is owned and managed by Kate Stottlemyer and her mom and dad, Carol and Paul Viall. The 6,000-square-foot shop sells gifts for every occasion, including bridal and baby showers, and carries branded collegiate merchandise, Richmond-themed products, boutique-style clothing, beach décor, gifts for dog and cat lovers, and more.
“We love finding unique and well-priced items,” Stottlemyer said. One of Tweed’s specialties is the full line of bags by Scout, a Washington, D.C.-based brand known for colorful totes that mix both function and fashion. The shop is the No. 1 single-location Scout retailer and one of 10 Scout destination shops in the United States.
Personalization is also a large part of Tweed’s business with in-house embroidery, engraving, printing and vinyl machines. “We can personalize just about anything in the store,” Stottlemyer said.
The newest addition to the personalization side of the business is Tweed Studio, which features hand-drawn illustrations of homes, penned from a photograph, and then precision engraved on wood cutting boards that are crafted locally.
Stottlemyer is always on the prowl for new gift ideas and trends, and the store displays are constantly refreshed with new products. “If you have not been to Tweed this week, then you have not been to Tweed,” she said. “We want to thrill our customers every time they visit the store, so finding new products is essential.”
Complimentary gift wrap is another way Tweed wows its customers. “We want our customers to know that when they come into the store, they will leave with a beautifully wrapped gift.”
Stottlemyer grew up in New Jersey and caught the entrepreneurial bug as a kid working in her mother’s bookstore and gift shop. “She’s always been a hard worker,” said Carol Viall. “Through high school and college she had three jobs.”
One of those jobs, working at the shop, eventually won out over waitressing and lifeguarding. Stottlemyer fell in love with Virginia while studying at Randolph-Macon, and it wasn’t long before Carol and Paul also relocated to Virginia. Now married with two sons who arrived not long after the shop opened, Stottlemyer has continued the family tradition.
“I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with my parents every day,” she said, “and to learn this business from the best.”
A website refresh in 2018 added e-commerce to tweedathome.com, positioning the store to continue serving customers when COVID-19 hit and the store was forced to close temporarily. “Our online business never stopped, and we were able to offer curbside pick-up and delivery while we were closed to customers shopping inside the store,” Stottlemyer said. Since reopening in May, Tweed has continued to offer curbside pickup for customers who were not yet ready to come back inside the store.
While Stottlemyer and Viall are curtailing travel due to COVID, eliminating an annual buying trip to Atlanta, they continue to work with product reps looking for classic and trendy merchandise. Facemasks and home décor continue to be strong sellers. “People have been home more, so they’re coming in and looking for a quick and easy refresh for their home,” Stottlemyer said.
For the future, Stottlemyer plans to expand the e-store offerings and to continue to bring in new and unique products to the store.
