Featured Retailer of the Month
With something for everyone, Poppy & Vale offers a carefully curated selection of botanical gifts and goods for the home, women, and children. There’s a distinct feeling that comes over you when you enter the shop, one that engages all the senses, from the music playing in the background to the thoughtfully selected merchandise.
“What smells so good in here?” is the question shoppers ask most often when they walk through the door. Owner Jordon Hewson takes a thoughtful approach to buying, and it shows in the way customers respond.
“Our candles and beauty products are all natural, with no phthalates or synthetic fragrances. We wish we could bottle the scent and sell it! It’s a combination of our candles plus shoppers sampling our body and hair perfumes. The all-natural ingredients harmonize, so it always smells great.”
The store itself is light and airy, with both the interior and merchandise reflecting a unified palette of neutrals, beige, shades of green, and soft terra cotta. The result is a relaxed shopping experience where customers are encouraged to touch, smell, experience, and even taste the merchandise.
Pillows, vases, and decorative accents in Poppy & Vale’s signature colors are perennial favorites, while the shop has also become a go-to destination for baby and toddler gifts. Organic cotton clothing and bedding, adorable sweaters knit from recycled yarn, wooden toys, art supplies that encourage creativity, and books meant to be treasured for years fill the children’s selection. Tween girls will find an appealing assortment of age-appropriate beauty and manicure products.
For women, clothing, jewelry, bags, and bath and beauty products round out the offerings. For artists of all ages, watercolor workbooks, paints, and art instruction books encourage creative exploration. A tasty selection of authentic Swedish fish and chocolates adds a little something sweet. Cards from local artists, journals, and stationery reflect a love of nature and a return to the simple pleasure of handwriting. New products are regularly highlighted at the register, where customers are encouraged to sample and try them.
“We embrace the idea of botanical living and being aware of our impact on the environment, but that doesn’t mean sacrificing style or quality,” says Hewson. “As an example, we offer solid shampoo bars that are some of the best on the market - clean ingredients, no plastic, and low-impact packaging. Customers are really fond of our bamboo tiny spoons, kitchen tools, and beauty tools. They sell because they are unique and practical, but bamboo as a sustainable material is better for the environment. Not every shopper cares about these details, but it’s part of the foundation of how we choose merchandise.”
Poppy & Vale also features a rotating selection of work by local artists, including greeting cards, art prints, knits, and jewelry from Linda Denis, Alexis Stefano, Ruthie Huschour, and store manager Kerry Welton. For visitors to the Mount Washington Valley, bringing home something made by a local artist adds a special connection to their experience.
“Especially for MWV visitors, it has special meaning to bring home items crafted by locals,” says Kerry. “Our customers want to buy local and support small businesses. We love that we can offer unique products that showcase artisans from the Valley.”
Poppy & Vale celebrates its first anniversary in September. Open seven days a week, the shop also offers online shopping at shop-poppyandvale.com. Whether you’re searching for a baby or holiday gift, looking for something special for your home, or simply treating yourself, Poppy & Vale has quickly become a new go-to destination for thoughtful, beautifully curated botanical gifts and goods.
