‘Spotlight Shop’ helps small businesses showcase products, expand customer base
HARRINGTON, Del.- “I was teetering back and forth on if that was something I really wanted to do. I cannot imagine If I never did it,” Grant said.
Shelby Grant is a self-proclaimed beauty maven. 6 months ago, she turned that passion into purpose, opening Junebug’s Beauty Boutique in Milford.
All eyes were on them Wednesday at M&T Bank’s Spotlight Shop at the Delaware State Fair. “We’re meeting people that we necessarily wouldn’t meet before. They’re seeing our product firsthand. They get to walk by, see it, and feel the material. That’s really nice,” Grant said.
It was actually the first time the retail shop on wheels rolled into the fair or even the first state. The Spotlight Shop gives small businesses the opportunity to showcase their products and services to potentially reach new customers.
Christine Rust with M&T Bank says they’re invested in their business clients and want to see them succeed. “M&T is the #1 SBA lender in the state of Delaware. We want to be your personal banker and provide you with support and education. We want to give you everything you need to get your business up, running, and keep it running,” Rust said.
Junebug’s offers apparel, accessories, home decor, and they even have a hair salon.
Hairstylist Caitlin Carlisle is also Shelby’s best friend and tells us a new shirt or hairstyle can really make a difference. “The best feeling is being able to do someone’s hair and then they go get an outfit. We take cute pictures of them, and we go on social media and it’s everywhere. We make people happy,” Carlise said.
The shop recently added customized hat branding to their offerings and were designing them on site.
Now 6 months later, Shelby’s says she’s happy she took that leap of faith. “We’ve been coming to concerts all week and seen so many girls dressed in our clothing. It’s just so cool to see,” Grant said.
Junebug’s recently launched their online store and can now ship to 5 states. They tell 47ABC the hope is to ship to all 50 states in the future.
The other great thing is that this is a retail pop-up shop is a completely free service to all businesses.
Junebug’s is just one of four businesses that will be at the Spotlight Shop during the fair. Others include My Sister’s Fault, La Plaza, and 302 Horseshoe Crab.
