Retail follows rooftops, as the saying goes. And Becky Brisker is banking that her new Downtown retail venture will be embraced by the hundreds upon hundreds new residents moving into the apartments surrounding Columbus Commons.
State & Third is the name of her new boutique, which opened two weeks ago inside the Shops at Capitol Square, the retail center attached to the Sheraton hotel.
” We decided to try a pop-up shop here for three days in December and it was amazing, says Brisker. “We got great feedback and decided to move into a full time retail space.”
The 1,000 square foot store is a take on Brisker’s first business, Objet Adapte — a concept she launched with her mother in 2009 that has operated as an online and festival-based retail outlet selling vintage and handmade goods.
“I’ve worked in corporate retail forever,” explains Brisker. “I worked in soft lines for Abercrombie and then at Microcenter on store designs — and eventually I missed working in textiles, and Object was born.”
State & Third carries a curated mix of local and national handmade goods from around 25 different artisans and crafters. That includes men’s and women’s clothing and care products, children’s clothing, home decor, pillows, candles, select food items and more.
“I live in Bexley, and I’d say around 30% of what we carry comes from artisans in Bexley,” says Brisker. “Many of them we carry exclusively too.”
Despite the recent cold weather, State & Third has seen steady traffic from the office workers and hotel guests in the buildings attached to the retail center. The store has also benefited from an influx in customers from The Arnold Sports Festival hotel guests and the popular run of The Phantom of the Opera at the nearby Ohio Theatre.
“The great thing about operating a store Downtown is that you’re immediately embedded in the community,” adds Brisker. “When one person in their office goes back and talks about an awesome Ohio-shaped pillow they found here, more folks come in the next day.”
This summer, Brisker plans to host art gallery exhibitions, possible collaborations with the YWCA, and events coordinated with nearby restaurants and other business owners.
For more information, visit www.stateandthird.com.
