Owner of Village Shops in Fulton says she started her gift shop with a sign, a cash register and an ad in the paper. The business now sells products from about 50 vendors and it’s entering its 13th year
By Stefan Yablonski
For years, Renee Doney’s father, Gene Burch, ran a business on West First Street in Fulton, Joice & Burch Inc. Now, for more than a dozen years she has carried on in the same location. Her business provides space for several locals to sell their wares.
Q: How long have you been in business?
A: I opened The Village Shops in the former Joice and Burch showroom at 2 W. First St. in November 2010. I’m going on my 13th year.
Q: What does this business do?
A: The Village Shops is a gift shop with about 50 different local people — it is a venue for local crafters and others to sell goods and products without the cost of renting out their own shop. There are some handmade items as well as some manufactured items also.
Q: How did this all come about?
A: My father ran Joice and Burch in this building. He passed away in 2008. My mom and I decided to repurpose the building. We started renting to several vendors just in time for the Christmas season. It started out as an eight-week project. However, once we opened, we decided we would keep it going. My mom lived in Ohio for 25 years; she moved back after several bouts with cancer. It was a great way for my mom to reconnect with her Fulton friends. She passed away in 2014.
Q: Sounds like a pretty auspicious start. Why did you decide to keep going?
A: The whole premise behind it was to allow individuals with a talent to have a place to showcase their items. We started with a sign, a cash register and an ad in the paper. At the beginning, my mom and I did not even sell anything. As time went on, we would travel to gift shows and buy items to enhance the store. The Village Shops is about 75% manufactured gift items and 25% handmade local items.
Q: Did you have a job before this?
A: I had been a school counselor for 15 years before opening this store. So I really had no retail experience. We came up with a plan for a business and made it happen.
Q: Has technology had an impact on how you do business?
A: The internet has impacted the business. You can buy anything online. We saw a big impact about five or six years ago. We see a lot of people returning items they have bought on the internet. People are starting to want to be able to touch and actually see the items that they are buying. A picture on a screen is not always as good of a representation of an item. I think the trend is turning back to shopping in a store — where you can touch and experience a gift after finding something that you might not have searched for.
Q: Has the business grown over the years?
A: In 2019, I bought Ship It from the Gilbert who were retiring. I had no idea how busy it would be. I added this to my business and once again, things really took off. I did faxing, copying, shipping and package returns. Last year, I sold the shipping part of the business to Kassidy Relf. It remains inside of The Villages Shop.
Q: What services do you offer?
A: We offer unique gifts for every person and every occasion. At The Village Shops, we help our customers find the perfect gift. We box it, wrap it, put it in a bag with tissue and a bow — and we will even carry it out to your car if needed.
Q: There has been a rather steady flow of customers this morning. So, things are going well, yes?
A: The Fulton community has been amazingly supportive of The Village Shops and Ship It. We offer so many services and great customer service. We try to make sure that everyone has a great time and can relax for a short time. We get many out-of-towners and this is a destination for locals to bring friends and family, too.
