The Shops at Marketplace

...exit gracefully, SELLABRATION of LIFE - This is your invitation to join us for our FINAL Wine Down Wednesday, SELLABRATION of LIFE social distanced gathering and SALE! 7/29-7/31 https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/exit-gracefully-sellabration-of-life

The soul of our nation is small business.
We believe the soul of Downtown Springfield is The Shops at Marketplace…

Dear Beautiful Friends,

We hope this finds you well, as we all navigate these times of great uncertainty for our families, community, nation and humanity. With humbled hearts we would like to express our sincere gratitude for your ever present kindness, support and love as we are mindfully doing our very best to navigate this current situation in our nation. We mindfully decided to continue to pause — awaiting the news of grants we applied for and what is unfolding in real time downtown with business openings, etc…

With great discernment we thought we would share our journey and story…
Remembering why we said yes in the first place.

We said yes five years ago to an invitation and opportunity by The Springfield BID and Mass Development to participate in a one month popup shop for the holidays. And our story began - we literally fell in love with the space which became our beloved second home… As early adapters (PRE MGM) we organically became the stewards and visionaries of what could be - IF - you care more than others and truly believe in your vision and dreams — and are willing to work tenaciously to achieve your goals… We have invested and dedicated our lives for five years in supporting the economic development of the re-emerging urban marketplace in Downtown Springfield, as community stewards and collaborative partners of many with the birthing of The Shops at Marketplace — owning three of the storefronts in the shops district. We mindfully invested, developed, infused love and beauty shifting the Johnsons' Bookstore walkway (vacant for over twelve years) into a thriving, beautiful, quintessential retail-tainment district… With our yes, we supported the economic development of a tired urban marketplace which was vacant for twelve years — developing a vibrant, retail-tainment district — enhanced with community experiences in the walkway — such as open air markets with beautiful souls, collaborative partners — local makers, artisans and entrepreneurs, gatherings such as: beer/wine gardens with live music, women's community events and fundraisers, twilight yoga in the walkway, etc… Our intentions and vision was pure, to gently nudge many in the Valley awaken to the abundant local goodness of not just the 'burbs but to embrace the urban landscape and positive energy and experiences and vibe downtown.

We have truly invested our hearts and souls into our beloved downtown Springfield. Many of you were present when we were honored being named Micro-Enterprise of the Year for the State of Massachusetts by the SBA in 2018. This was a moment in time we will cherish for the rest of our lives — to be seen for our work and recognized as the first recipient of any recognition by the SBA for Springfield was humbling indeed.

We are stewards of the collective vision many good souls have for Springfield, we have done our small part to support the collective, collaborative community experience Downtown. We have dedicated our lives to The Shops at Marketplace project — mindfully re-investing into our business — never once taking an Owners' draw. This year, 2020 was projected to be the year we were finally to experience exponential growth in our retail shop Serendipity, Dharma Yoga and our newest addition Alchemy Nail Bar — the build outs are complete, the vision and strategy was clear — 2020, the year of clarity...

And then the world stopped.

Like you, we paused and prayed for our families, community, nation and humanity — we asked God for guidance and answers during our forced closing on March 13th. We mindfully pivoted and did our best to adapt to serving the needs of our customers with private shopping and developed an online presence, creating on line shopping events, with curbside pickup, shipping, etc... And something just did not feel right. We know in our hearts we are not interested in simply becoming an online business, the essence of our brand was much more than that…our intentions were focused on collaboration and community engagement, with authentic connections, heart to heart, soul to soul and face to face. We have done extensive research on emerging trends, consumer confidence and desires… We have given this great consideration how our style of business with engagement and experience — which is our significant differentiation in the marketplace… is not aligned with the "new normal." We had hoped to create something that is safe, offering merchandise 'she' is searching for. Contextually there were many, many variables and strategies for us to consider.

The soul of our nation is small business.
And many are forgotten.
Including ours...

We have invested hours upon hours on webinars and conference calls along with connecting with the coalition of organizations and banks who are committed to making PPP loans directly to Massachusetts minority-owned businesses that were left out of the first round of PPP. However, what we have faced again and again — to secure PPP for this iteration — our business model exempts us for qualification — PPP is an opportunity for those that are following traditional payroll procedures, with deductions, etc…

Our business is set up a micro-enterprise LLC with Nancy and I as full time, owner operators — we have never taken a draw/paycheck ever. We employed one part time employee/nail tech with 20 hours a week, who is compensated as an independent contractor 1099. We also have three yoga teachers who work as independent contractors 1099. Additionally, we support and feature the exquisite work of several local women artisans/makers on a consignment basis. Our business sustainability has been made possible with this business model — in that we have never had the cash flow to afford traditional payroll, again, this was the year to shift our business model to a more traditional small business format.

We have done our very best to navigate these times of great uncertainty — we truly believe the soul of our nation is small business, and yet it feels like politicians are not aligned with this mindset. As tenacious, strategic women we recognized the time and resources which are necessary to pivot and recreate our business strategy and operations shifting to a sustainable online presence — this all while honoring our brick and mortar flagship shop and experiences downtown, post pandemic was just not financially responsible.

It was our highest intention to not become a statistic of another small business that was forced to close due to the pandemic.

With great discernment, humbled hearts and disappointed dreams, we have made a decision to surrender.
Embracing the grace of trusting the divine unfolding of life, blessing and releasing -- letting go of things we cannot control…
Our beautiful little shops: Serendipity. Dharma. Alchemy. — will be permanently closed as of next Friday.

With full disclosure we have applied and been denied almost a dozen grants, except one from the BID which covered one month's rent. To say we are disappointed is an understatement, we are deeply hurt by the decision of Springfield to have been denied by three iterations of the Prime The Pump Grants.

And this is the reality of many, many small/micro-enterprises like ours.

We were hopeful the abundant legislative pleas on behalf of businesses like ours were to be supported in the next round — for micro-enterprises that are not being seen or supported, we believe this is a major gap in the CARE ACT. We would like to express our real concern about the current economic challenges in our city, state and nation with longer than average return to business for non-essential business like each of our three businesses. This was devastating to our business. We are deeply concerned for the collective industries in which we own businesses in: retail, salon and yoga.

The situation we are experiencing is becoming a national tragedy -- in that we are one of the many thousands of micro-enterprises owned by minorities across our country -- that are feeling like the forgotten ones. Sadly, this new round of funding does not support the collective US — the truly small businesses of our nation. We have always thought the fabric of our communities was the eclectic and beautiful offerings of 'non-essential' types of businesses — Main Street USA is forever to be changed, vacant storefronts will become the new normal. This is not a beautiful thing...

Our hope and prayer is to be remembered for the goodness we have brought to our community, the value and impact of our contributions for five years, in being stewards and visionaries — breathing life into forgotten space — which transformed into a thriving marketplace. We will be closing our shops on Friday, July 31st. This is your final gentle nudge to pause, experience, and smile as you enjoy our beloved shops for the last time next week, details to be announced soon...

The soul of our nation is small business.
We believe the soul of downtown Springfield is The Shops at Marketplace…
And it always will be.

We will exit gracefully, with gratitude and humbled hearts…
We will not look back, yet we will cherish are abundant experiences, memories and moments with you beautiful one.
And we will heal.

Be well beautiful one...
Mikki Lessard & Nancy Feth

Simply Grace LLC
Serendipity. Dharma. Alchemy.
The Shops at Marketplace
Downtown Springfield

...serendipitous retail therapy LIVE on Wednesday 6/24 at 3:33! Join Mikki & Nancy LIVE this week for our SUMMER SALE! Tune in on our event page to see many items not online...or visit us in shop between 11 & 3! https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/serendipitous-retail-therapy-live-on-wednesday-624-at-333

OPEN AIR MARKET & sidewalk SALE! 1 Day June 17 11 'til 6 ...need a 'lil retail therapy? Join us for our OPEN AIR MARKET & sidewalk SALE! Wed. 6/17 11 -6. Summertime essentials SALE rack is ready for you! https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/open-air-market-sidewalk-sale-1-day-june-17-11-til-6

Good morning LIVE coffee PAUSE & SHOP at 11:11 today! - https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/good-morning-live-coffee-pause-shop-at-1111-today

Join us for serendipity's happiest hour EVER virtual sip and shop on Wednesday at 5 pm EST! - https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/join-us-for-serendipitys-happiest-hour-ever-virtual-sip-and-shop-on-wednesday-at-5-pm-est

...our souls are smiling.
The Shops at Marketplace’s painted piano (by Becca Fite) is being passionately played while the Bishop sings his heart out.

A little local goodness...
Gone Viral.
Amen.

Video of coronavirus song goes viral after pastor runs into piano player in Springfield “I was just coming out of the cafe and I heard that groove and it caught a hold of me. The lyrics that came forth were inspired by the times we are living in with this pandemic,” said Paul. “ I really felt the essence of our shared sacrifice and humanity. It was beautiful to create something w...

Serendipity Retail Therapy ONLINE Shopping is HERE! - Mindfully we are doing our very best as we navigate these times of uncertainty in our community, nation and world. This is your gentle nudge to pause, browse and experience a little retail therapy. We hope you find something that speaks to your soul... https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/serendipity-retail-therapy-online-shopping-is-here

Serendipity Retail Therapy ONLINE Shopping is HERE! Mindfully we are doing our very best as we navigate these times of uncertainty in our community, nation and world. This is your gentle nudge to pause, browse and experience a little retail therapy. We hope you find something that speaks to your soul...

...a little guidance for these uncertain times.

To help our region's businesses get ready to reopen their doors while keeping staff and customers safe, we've developed A Guide for Reopening Your Business During COVID-19. Find it in our daily update: https://buff.ly/2WZf5VV

Serendipity Retail Therapy LIVE VIRTUAL Shopping Experience TODAY at 3:33! - https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/serendipity-retail-therapy-live-virtual-shopping-experience-today-at-333

Serendipity Retail Therapy LIVE VIRTUAL Shopping Experience TODAY at 3:33!

...thank you to all who continue to serve, comfort and heal. We appreciate you so very much. Thank you to al the frontline workers. We are most grateful.

Alicia Keys performs her new song, "Good Job." If you find yourself in tears watching the visual for Alicia Keys' new song, know that the singer had the same reaction the first time she saw it. The 15-tim...

...do you live downtown?

Do You Live in Downtown? We Wanna Hear From You - Springfield BID We are all living through the evolution of COVID-19 and continue to personally experience its drastic impact and disruption on our work, home, and personal lives. While the lasting impact of this global pandemic is unclear, Springfield Downtown is overwhelmingly proud of what our community is doing....

...PBS honors local artist, John Simpson

Massachusetts Museums Go Virtual During COVID-19 Pandemic | Connecting Point | Apr. 14, 2020 Last month, Governor Charlie Baker close schools in Massachusetts. The closure is in effect until at least May 4th but could be extended. As parents look for...

...a gentle nudge to support, small, local and deliciousness.
NOSH
The Shops at Marketplace
Downtown

TAKE ADVANTAGE PEOPLE!

Go To NoshSpringfield.com to order today!

...be well loves.

...please help NOSH with a donation to NURSES OF SPRINGFIELD!

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Please make your donations today and for the next few weeks to help our FRONTLINE WORKERS stay fueled for this hectic fire.

...never the less she persisted.
We LOVE YOU Teri Shorette-Skinner...

How Springfield is attempting to keep its downtown dining district from going under amid coronavirus closures “I'm just like making ends meet and I'm not really doing that either."

Mindfully we pause for community wellbeing... To our beautiful community... With compassion and unconditional love we write to you to share Serendipity, Alchemy & Dharma will be closed for 3 weeks. It is our intention to be open again on April 8th.https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/mindfully-we-pause-for-community-wellbeing

Mindfully, this series is CANCELLED to support community health and wellbeing during this critical time. Stay safe and well loves...

SPRING YOGA!

New Saturday Series & Mid-week class - Register for our second Saturday morning SPRING series "Building Balance Flow" or drop in on Wednesday evenings at 5 at Dharma. Your mat awaits... https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/spring-yoga-new-saturday-series-mid-week-class

SPRING Yoga! New Saturday Series & Mid-Week Class Register for our second Saturday morning SPRING series "Building Balance Flow" or drop in on Wednesday evenings at 5 at Dharma. Your mat awaits...

...NOSH IS IN THE NEWS!!!!

Good Evening Noshers!

Did you get a chance to see our feature on The Buzz Around Town on Western Mass News with ? Head to Facebook to check it out!

Learn about our product, people and our Breakfast Menu coming MARCH 8th!

New Yoga Series and End of Season SALE! - Building Balance Flow Yoga series starts 3/7! Also, Spring is upon us & we are clearing out beautiful winter merchandise! Dramatic savings await...
https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/new-yoga-series-and-end-of-season-sale

New Yoga Series and End of Season SALE! Building Balance Flow Yoga series starts 3/7! Also, Spring is upon us & we are clearing out beautiful winter merchandise! Dramatic savings await...

Wine Down Wednesday...TONIGHT, it's BACK! - ...it's Wednesday, wine not? Join us from 4-7 pm for our Wine Down Wednesday experience featuring our BYE BYE WINTER SALE, Funky Flow Yoga & NAILS! Meet us at The Shops at Marketplace, Downtown Springfield. https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/wine-down-wednesdaytonight-its-back

Wine Down Wednesday...TONIGHT, it's BACK! ...it's Wednesday, wine not? Join us from 4-7 pm for our Wine Down Wednesday experience featuring our BYE BYE WINTER SALE, Funky Flow Yoga & NAILS! Meet us at The Shops at Marketplace, Downtown Springfield.

I love SALES! ...this is the SALE you have been waiting for! ALL APPAREL, VEGAN BAGS and JEWELRY on SALE at Serendipity! Come TODAY for best selection! 11 'til 5 at The Shops at Marketplace, Downtown Springfield.https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/i-love-sales

Love is everywhere... Galentine's Party TONIGHT! 2/13: 5-7:30 pm - We are having a PARTY at The Shops at Marketplace! MANY LOCAL FEMALE ARTISANS & MAKERS!!! A gentle nudge to support local, small and women owned...https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/love-is-everywhere-galentines-party-tonight-213-5-730-pm

Catch the Saturday vibes...at The Shops! - Weekends are for relaxation and renewal of the mind, body and spirit. Experience two NEW offerings at Dharma this month! Register TODAY! https://mailchi.mp/simplygrace/catch-the-saturday-vibesat-the-shops

Catch the Saturday vibes...at The Shops! ...weekends are for relaxation and renewal of the mind, body and spirit. Experience two NEW offerings at Dharma this month! Register TODAY!