open: essentials

*In honor of Small Business Saturday (Nov. 30), I'm featuring four shops in my town of Northampton, Massachusetts, in a series of posts called "Open." I'm hoping that not only will this drum up holiday business for the stores in the town I love so much, but that other bloggers will be inspired to do the same in their towns! Feel free to link back to this post, and post a link to your "Open" features in the comments. These posts are not sponsored, nor are they affiliated with American Express.

Welcome to Essentials.

Essentials  is one of my favorite stores in Northampton. From gifts to craft supplies to stationery, I find a treat to bring home every time I visit. I especially love their rubber stamp collection, locally made products, and French-inspired home goods!

From owner Colette Katsikas:

When did your business open? Essentials opened in 1986, but I've been the owner for over a year.  I've worked here since 1997 and finally took the leap in buying it in October of 2012. 

What does your business sell? Unique gifts, home goods, housewares, craft supplies, stationery, furniture, clothes...a little bit of everything. We like to sell things that feel homemade and useful, but are also beautiful and of high quality.

What does being a small business owner mean to you? It's definitely a way for me to be an active participant in my community. I like the creativity and the challenges and that I get to participate in all aspects of the business, buying, designing, interacting with customers, all of those things. It's always challenging and always keeps me busy, but I love every minute of it.

What is it like to own a small business in Northampton? It's as fulfilling as it is challenging. Northampton has its own personality and so every day is a learning experience, but I feel so happy to work in tandem with the other business owners of Northampton. Together I feel like we all contribute to a rich and lively place to live and work.

Essentials is located at 88 Main St. in Northampton, MA, and is open Monday - Thursday and Saturday from 10 am - 7 pm, Friday 10 am - 9 pm, and Sunday from 12 pm - 5 pm. Call (413) 584-2327 or shop online.

Read about Unite, and last year's Open posts: Beehive Sewing Studio, Kestrel, Sticks & Bricks, and Ode