Two independent clothing stores in Hampden,
Sixteen Tons and
Doubledutch Boutique are moving into a shared space on the Avenue next month.
The move will allow the two stores to share overhead expenses and carry a wider array of merchandise, Sixteen Tons Owner Daniel Wylie says.
The two-story, 1,400-square-foot spot at 1021 W. 36
th St. is the former home of Denova furniture store. Doubledutch — a women's clothing store owned by Wylie's wife Lesley Jennings and Sixteen Tons will retain their separate names and brands.
Wylie says he hopes the central block on the Avenue, next to the Food Market — a restaurant
named a "hot spot" by Open Table diners — will give both stores more visibility and foot traffic. For Doubledutch, it's a chance to move off Falls Road and onto Hampden's central thoroughfare, the Avenue.
Wylie opened Sixteen Tons at 1100 W. 36th St. in 2010.
Moving into a larger space will allow him to sell more shoes, accessories, shaving products and house wares. Diversifying his inventory will hopefully increase sales, Wylie says. If someone doesn’t want to buy a pair of trousers, maybe they might buy a table or shaving cream.
Wylie says he does not yet know how much the move will cost. He says the store is profitable, though sales fluctuate with the seasons.
Learn more about Sixteen Tons in this
video made by Shine Creative.
Source: Daniel Wylie
Writer: Julekha Dash