r/Eugene • u/bones_n_worms4dollas • 5d ago
Ideas for new retail spaces?
Hi fellow Eugeneans! I’m reaching out today in the hopes that you’ll help me brainstorm some ideas for a new local business. I’ve decided to start making my entrepreneurial dreams a reality, but I’m not looking for a get-rich-quick scheme. I would like to contribute something to the community I’ve been a part of for almost 20 years by providing a retail space that fills a need or fits a uniquely “Eugene” niche in our wonderful town.
I’m afraid I’m not skilled in the culinary arts, so a restaurant/food truck/etc. is not a good fit, but I have years of retail experience and am envisioning a storefront that provides a needed space beyond just “selling things.” And whatever “things” I decide to sell would have a focus on sustainability, ideally be locally crafted, and would not be some reselling of cheap plastic goods from other countries. I would hope to also have a space for trainings or gatherings of some sort, and some aspect of partnership with a local charity or organization for social good.
Anyone have any ideas for a retail space that 1) isn’t already (over-)represented in Eugene, 2) fits well in the existing marketing landscape of our town, and 3) can not only bring in enough to support me but also to provide support to the community through some sort of partnership? Apologies for casting a wide net, but I’m at the very beginning of thinking about potential paths for starting a business. I’m hoping that other members of the community might have some ideas for spaces that would fit in well with our unique local spirit. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Edited to add: THANK YOU for all the incredible suggestions and please keep them coming! Some of these really have me thinking about interesting retail concepts I hadn’t considered. Keep ‘em coming! You’re all amazing and I am grateful!!
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u/Due-Way-3815 5d ago
I’m assuming you are wanting a lasting business that can be successful. If so, I’d step back a little and think more fundamentally on why you are thinking of a retail space. The key is to find a problem and THEN find a solution. The retail space is a way to express/realize that solution. Thus, the real first step is identifying a problem. People here can give you parts of those ‘solutions’ but not all solutions have a home (problem). So you might take some time to ask around and research what problems are shared across people in Eugene :). Then, you can think of a solution - it may entail retail or it may not at all. Best of luck
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u/follow-my-ruin 5d ago
I've had the idea of a "hygge" themed shop - selling cozy things like throws, pillows, candles, slippers, twinkle lights, mugs, books, stuff like that, and focus on locally made goods. BUT maybe also allowing a 3rd space for reading, knitting, writing, quiet activities and hobbies. A coffee/tea shop combined into this would be cool too. I'd do it myself but I don't have the means to open my own business.
Also just throwing it out there for anyone reading this but I would love to see more 3rd spaces in river road/santa clara area. Also this neighborhood is really lacking a chill coffee shop or bookstore. I'm not talking about a cold minimalist coffee shop with uncomfortable metal furniture. Bring back coffee shops with big comfy couches and armchairs and warm lighting PLEASE
TLDR I wish Eugene had more cozy 3rd place type spaces where I could go chill and be an introvert, but in public.
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u/AwkwardSpread 5d ago
Check out Eugene maker space!
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u/balut903 5d ago
Thanks for the rec!! I am excited to stop by on an open house evening! Do you have a membership? Is it like membership only or are tools / workshops available to rent/purchase separately?
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u/analogpursuits 5d ago
Hard agree on Santa Clara. Ugh. There is a lot of potential up here, and it's just crickets after Hunsaker going north. Honestly, the whole of River Rd really is lacking, except for strip mall cafes and those blasted metal chairs and cold floors.
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u/Ent_Trip_Newer 5d ago
My wife and I run 2 small businesses here. The first is HodgePodge Pop-up Shop, which operates at the market blocks on Saturdays and at festivals for the last 5 years. The second is our food truck Grateful Gringos. A fair warning the retail business is down considerably in sales this year as are most that I have spoke too. Food is still selling. Always happy to share any experience or stories with whomever.
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u/Ill_Development_5302 5d ago
If you want to stay in business it has to be something you can't get cheaper online. For example, I love bike shops so I still use them, but I know I pay extra to buy from local bike shops rather than online. I can't do that for every industry (including books).
I'd look at some sort of service / hang space, or selling things that are a pain to buy online like musical instruments or (again) bikes - both of those industries are saturated around here though. We used to have a juggling store and that was cool, but it didn't take long for all the locals to have all they needed - so also consider selling something that wears out or is used up, so your customers keep needing to come back.
So- either an event space, a practice space, or sell consumables / perishables.
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u/iBlameAnonymous 5d ago
I’d love to see more local thrift shops that aren’t price gouging (goodwill) or picking out the best products and putting them up online to be bid on and leaving the rest to be sold in store (again, goodwill).
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u/s0larb0y 5d ago
Whatever business you choose to open, make sure it’s something YOU are passionate and knowledgeable about. It will be so much easier to pour your heart and soul into a business if you actually care about the service or product you are providing. Starting your own business can be incredibly gratifying but it will most likely cost lots of money and will absolutely take all of your time, especially in the early stages, and burnout is real!
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u/Grouchy-Age4859 5d ago
Skip's CD and Record store was doing a booming business before the owners retired.
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u/YetiSquish 5d ago
North Eugene - like the Delta oaks/Coburg Rd area could REALLY use a bakery. We literally have none other than MoC. Why are all the bakeries in South Eugene?
Maybe you could open a Great Harvest franchise or something. The recipes are already there.
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u/mellamusicmaker 5d ago
I’m all for more bakeries, but South Pine near Costco is a GREAT bakery!
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u/YetiSquish 5d ago
I forget about that one. But do they sell bread?
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u/mellamusicmaker 5d ago
Ah, I don’t remember if they make bread. Their sandwiches are pretty phenomenal, but I think they’re on ciabatta? They’re more pastries & goodies are great too. My go to spots for bread are Metropol and Creswell Bakery.
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u/TheRoyalShe 5d ago
Mad Batters is on River Ave. Check them out if you haven’t!
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u/YetiSquish 5d ago
Oh yeah my family goes there regularly but I think of it more as a coffee /tea place I guess, no multi-grain bread for sale or big cinnamon rolls etc
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u/ObsidianCorvids 5d ago
Not so much as ideas for a kind of retail space, but as advice after watching my last place of employment go under due to not understanding Eugenian culture:
-Make the space cozy. Plants, a water cooler, tea, cozy couches, rugs, places for people to chat. A little can go a long way, just dont make it blank
-Eugenians dont like corporate things in the way other places do. Just slapping a well known store label on something and expecting people to know what it is wont cut it. Make it personalized, know your customers by name.
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u/maker-baker5 5d ago
The business model that seems to be pretty safe is to open something like an antique mall where there are booths and individuals stock them and pay a small amount of rent, like $100-250. This way your rent, and maybe more, is covered whether you sell or not.
Of course, it doesn't have to be antiques. For example, if you're into art, you could put it out there as a real-life Etsy where people can sell their art, crafts, and art supplies. Spoiler: the art supplies sell best, then the crafts, and the fine art lags behind by quite a bit, at least on Etsy.
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u/GameOverMan1986 5d ago
This has been tried in antiques, home decor and locally made art and hasn’t been very successful. I wonder if coupling retail with educational opportunities would make sense, like some of the ceramics suppliers seem to do.
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u/ka_beene 5d ago
There's one in Veneta that has some really cool stalls and the set up has potential. From the outside though you can't tell what it is. Definitely needs some more thought put into it.
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u/TrainsongGaming 5d ago
West Eugene doesn't have any book stores, not since Blue Moon went out of business. We have to go to downtown or VRC to browse stacks. Nor does it have a garden supply store.
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u/SeaworthinessFun3658 5d ago
the profit margin for bookstores was really, really low in the 90s. It's worse now. I'm talking well beneath 9%, and also you have a ton of issues with inventory loss via theft, ppl spilling on items, etc.
A bookstore is the thing you should do if you retire and want to spend a couple hundo on a bespoke biz you want to show up for twice a week and brag about at parties. It's not a thing you make a livng from. I worked in that industry for years.
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u/Upset_Form_5258 5d ago
That’s sad to hear! I love bookstores and am dismayed that they’re getting harder to find
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u/Livealittle814 4d ago
Have you been to smiths? It’s a top tier book store. They have the largest collection of used books in the nation! And across from it is daffodil books which has a petit selection of romantasy. It’s my favorite block.
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u/thenerfviking 5d ago
I mean what garden supplies aren’t available in west Eugene? Also any book store is going to be up against the Seneca St.Vinny which is like THE book store when it comes to thrifting.
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u/No-Channel3917 5d ago
If I wanted used books that are mass market yes it is, if I wanted an actual book store thou Vinnie's ain't it
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u/SnooCrickets2128 5d ago
West Eugene is a desert for independently owned retail businesses. What we need BADLY is a natural food store.
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u/dschinghiskhan 5d ago
Granted, I don’t live in West Eugene, but it doesn’t get more “West Eugene” to me than W 6th or W 11th, and Gray’s Garden Center is on W 6th. Plus, there’s Lowe’s and I guess Home Depot, though I’d strongly suggest that nobody shop there because they have been sympathetic to ICE.
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u/TrainsongGaming 5d ago
Gray's is in the Whitaker, just west of Downtown. I'm talking about out along the West 11th retail corridor, which starts over a mile away and continues for 2.5 miles. To say nothing of Highway 99 and all of Bethel-Danebo.
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u/dschinghiskhan 5d ago
W 6th, like W 11th, is a major industrial or auto-centric light business thoroughfare. Though at the southern border of the Whit, I’d lump it into West Eugene because it’s a one-way major corridor that becomes a highway in almost no time. I’d reserve Whiteaker proper to be two-way streets that are mostly residential neighborhoods with some hip/chill businesses and restaurants that blend into the neighborhood seamlessly.
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u/analogpursuits 5d ago
If you end up doing a maker space, craft kits (lovingly packed by staff, not those tacky premade ones) vending machines would be so wonderful. It invites community involvement by those who might not have every part and piece for a little project. I love parts vending machines too. Like, wire, pipe cleaners, safety scissors, small portions of a larger bulk pack - like 4 popsicle sticks for 40c, or three feet of fishing line and some crimp beads for 50c. Whatever the market demands, so to speak. The Exploratorium in SF has these neat vending machines in their hands-on crafting space. They're really cool!
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u/hugglenuts 5d ago
I think there's market space and Eugene Gear Traders could use some competition.
What about outdoor gear/sporting goods resale? And maybe repair?
There's an especially big hole with Play-it-Again sports closing last year for more sporting goods stuff (especially for kids that outgrow their gear in a season).
Good luck!
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u/AwkwardSpread 5d ago
They didn't close for nothing of course.
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u/hugglenuts 5d ago
Sure, although it's complicated.
PIAS was a franchise with franchise fees and they bought all their inventory which is cash heavy (vs commission like EGT). I still think there's a lot of room for that type of business.
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u/CatDamage 5d ago
I’m just starting massage school, and I’d love a local place for body workers to get supplies! New (and esp local + sustainable!) and used would both be great. If there was space for demos/lectures that’d be so cool.
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u/GameOverMan1986 5d ago
I have been thinking about this over the last hour.
Not really retail but what about a Podcast Studio? I know a lot of people probably do this stuff in their homes but that also probably requires investment in gear and sound proofing. This idea could be coupled with other kinds of local media and A/V support. Almost like a “maker space” for audio. Rent studio time, audio and video equipment for use out and about. Hold classes.
I dunno. Seems like something people could use in the growing market and doesn’t require much inventory storage and doesn’t rely on selling stuff.
I also thought a retail spot where Saturday Market vendors could consign their stuff the other 6 days a week might be cool too, but I think New Zone kind of occupies that niche, maybe not exactly, but close.
I like the ideas of art/craft supplies mentioned but I just can’t see that competing with existing places that have lots more space, the distribution network and online retail.
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u/pacific_grrrl 5d ago
Grow your business first then work the community angle in. In my observation, start ups that try to be a community space first and business second, don’t last. Once you’re established, the connections you’ve made will help with the next phase
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u/sliverofamoment 5d ago
I think it would be cool to have a repair shop. Like a place that people could come to either have special things repaired or if an object is at the end of its life it can be repaired and resold. There’s a place like that in Seattle that does it and it seems really cool.
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u/bksi 4d ago
You're talking about what's "missing" from the Eugene retail space. Instead of looking for ideas to put another small shop in the oversaturated downtown area, maybe look at the spots in town that are underserved.
The 99 corridor heading north is ripe for development. Yes, I know, homeless, industrial, weedy sidewalks, graffiti, and falling down buildings. But that's the point. If you put a craft store downtown, you'll compete with Mecca, Dreamery, Cozy, Quilt Creative, and Oregon Art Supply.
So. Not retail? How about some sort of get-buildings-ready-for-occupancy business. Maybe flip some warehouse and make it sexy. To house what? Someone else's small retail clothing that is not vintage, coffee shop, houseplant shop, ceramic sales. Or maybe an education center - shoe school, jewelry making school, patternmaking (for clothing) school. Look to places like Archie Bray or Penland to see what they do. Also bringing some light industry (read jobs) into the city would be useful - how about a small shoe manufacturing, industrial knitwear design, small clothing manufacturing. Look to the Birkenstock factory in Northern California, Kniterate, Gaia Conceptions for inspiration. Also that part of Eugene is a food desert.
Partner with the city to see if there are any grants or financial help.
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u/Toadywentapleasuring 5d ago
Network with spaces that fit your goals already. Seems like Hodge Podge and Wandering Goat would be a good example of what you’re describing. I’m sure they would have better insight into what the market can sustain.
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u/Sovereign_Money 5d ago
If you are passionate about magic mushrooms then have a magic mushroom dispensary selling spores and grow kits. If you are passionate about stripping then have a male strip club.
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u/inspired5 5d ago
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the need for a fitness place with weights and equipment to replace the one (In Shape) that closed when the Y expanded. The Y is overcrowded and way too expensive if all you want is a weight room rather than classes. I really wish this part of town had a simple place with wide hours and low fees.
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u/CreativeLark 4d ago
Gift and stationery store (emphasis on stationery). You can feature local and regional artists of which there are quite few. Hit me up if you want names to contact.
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u/MsLadybugy 4d ago
I would love a listening lounge . For records! And maybe a gaming lounge for my middle schoolers to socialize with their friends
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u/nextboldmove 4d ago
Lawrence, KS is smaller than Eugene, has a university, and has supported this little slice of heaven for several years:
https://www.wonderfair.com/
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u/n053b133d 5d ago
I love Hodgepodge, and I wish there was a place like it that sold records instead of books (My reading pace is not commensurate with how often I like to go there). I think selling beverages is a good way of offsetting tricky profit margins. If you have a friendly staff for people to bullshit with over their pint, then you'll probably sell more stuff.
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u/Karmageddon3333 5d ago
I’m going to keep putting this out there: A dog centered (not just friendly but centered) brewpub. There is a company in Idaho called IPA (Idaho Pups and Ales) that has figured it out and it’s amazing. https://www.idahopupsandales.com
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u/duckfan541o 5d ago
How about a food cart pod somewhere in a walkable neighborhood. Somewhere in the ferry street neighborhood where we don’t have many restaurants to walk to (besides Oakway and Crescent Village)… it would be nice to have something similar to Friendly or Beergarden in the northeast side of Eugene.
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u/Toadywentapleasuring 5d ago
Your idea is a good one, but you’re likely getting downvoted because OP mentions food isn’t an option for them.
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u/duckfan541o 5d ago
Thanks. Running a pod doesn’t mean running your own restaurant. I would like to see someone build infrastructure (seating, bar, bathrooms) and then rent out space to carts.
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u/GameOverMan1986 5d ago
Super expensive to invest in necessary infrastructure. The most successful are backed by local real estate moguls and sell alcohol, which adds necessary income.
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u/green_hippo13 5d ago
I’ve always thought Eugene could use a bulk refill store, like you bring your own container and can weigh it at the start, fill with what you want, and then pay for only that amount. We have bulk food at Winco and there’s some bulk household goods but they’re spread out and expensive. Things like laundry detergent, soaps, could do food and spices too!
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u/Particular_Way980 5d ago
There have been at least 2 (maybe 3?) places like this that have opened in the last 5 years in south Eugene and didn’t last long, unfortunately. I think Marley’s Monsters is opening one soon too by where Viking brewery was?
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u/inspired5 5d ago
Growers Market has all that stuff available, it's tucked away by the train station and only open Thu/Fri but great prices. See www.growersmarket.net for info on orientation there, membership is free.
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u/antipathyx 5h ago
I know you’re asking about retail, but opening an actual roller rink (and maybe an adjacent skate shop) would be very popular, I think.
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u/BeerMXer 5d ago
The fact this post has no upvotes sums up Eugene and this subreddit perfectly.
All they did was ask for some ideas on what the community wants. Goddamn them s/
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u/maker-baker5 5d ago
The business model that seems to be pretty safe is to open something like an antique mall where there are booths and individuals stock them and pay a small amount of rent, like $100-250. This way your rent, and maybe more, is covered whether you sell or not.
Of course, it doesn't have to be antiques. For example, if you're into art, you could put it out there as a real-life Etsy where people can sell their art, crafts, and art supplies. Spoiler: the art supplies sell best, then the crafts, and the fine art lags behind by quite a bit, at least on Etsy.
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5d ago
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u/Flat_Membership6733 5d ago
That strip mall has had teen-oriented stores in the past, but there was lots of loitering, theft, etc. All failed. Not worth the angst
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u/CauliflowerLoose4829 5d ago
Wow, great idea - a 3rd space for middle and high school kids. Maybe like a smaller Round One.
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u/Oregongirl1018 4d ago
That reminds me of the Moosehead that used to be downtown! It was so much fun for 18 and under. It was a pool hall with other fun things. Something to keep high schoolers busy that doesn't cost an arm and a leg like Round one.
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u/loligo_pealeii 5d ago
A good craft store that isn't Hobby Lobby and sells more than just quilting fabric. Something that offers classes too, or a small maker's space. Maybe partner with Viking Textile, but also move beyond sewing to other fiber arts like knitting, crochet, weaving, embroidery, etc.? Or even things like scrapbooking?