In August, the 1,200 square foot, fair trade clothing store, La Bodega, opened at 619 E. Grand River in East Lansing.
La Bodega sells clothing, instruments and jewelry from more than five different countries and is affiliated with Orchid Lane in Ann Arbor.
“We have a lot of clothing from India, Bali and Nepal,” says Manager Denice Miller. “We sell a lot of items that are marked as free size, either a wrapped skirt or dress that can fit any cut or size.”
Orchid Lane used to have an East Lansing location, but couldn’t find a manager for the location and closed. Miller, who has worked for Orchid Lane for five years, says reopening an East Lansing location has always been on the owner’s mind.
“We’ve been doing great,” she says. "The students aren’t even back in town yet, but we’re getting a lot of people coming by. We have a lot of foot traffic and a lot of people see us when they’re driving down Grand River.”
Miller says the Grand River location is key to the store’s visibility.
“We still have a lot to do, and I’m surprised by how often I have to put something down because there’s people in the shop,” she says.
Source: Denice Miller, La Bodega
Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.
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