Business & Tech

After 25 Years of Gifting Tarrytown, Whimsies Will Close its Doors

Whimsies Incognito is, to put it gently, "retiring." Certainly, a community well-gifted with their unique roomfull of small precious, humorous and useful finds, will be saddened by the news of a shop that seemed to be thriving. 

Nonetheless, owner Jackie Golabek laments a shift in the way people shop and misses the connections of the past. And of course the economy. She further explains in an heartfelt email to her loyal patrons:

Unfortunately, the landscape of retail has changed dramatically over the quarter century I’ve been in business. Years ago, the norm in the retail business was company representatives coming to the store, and showing us their products in person. We got to take a tactile look at the beautiful things that would eventually make it to our shelves. This personalized level of service has gone to the wayside in favor of paper catalogs and shopping online. Even trade shows have lost their momentum, as costs of wholesale exhibiting has steadily risen while attendance has dropped off.

The personal side of retail has been modified and redirected. Computers allow people to shop 24/7 at the click of a button, making it at times hard to compete as a brick and mortar store. For every customer that takes a look around the shop and enjoys the mix of products, at least 1/3 (maybe more) will ask if you have an online store. Be it at that moment they don’t have a need for that piece of pottery … or can’t make up their mind… or dollars are scarce. They want to shop as their schedule allows (so a late-night computer date is perfect!).

Of course, first there's a sale and time to say goodbye. All items are 30 percent off. 

Here's the full letter from their website.


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