Business & Tech

Biz Profile: Aimee's Cottage Looking for 'Unique' Niche

Amy Waldron relocated her gift shop from Channahon to downtown Plainfield; home decor items, consignment art and Miche purses among the items she sells.

Behind every business is a person who's pursuing their entrepreneurial dream...

Name of business: Aimee's Cottage

Address: 24103 W. Lockport St.

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Phone number: 815-521-9294

Owner: Amy Waldron

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Opening date: April 1, 2010

Have you always been at this location? No. The store was in Channahon for two and a half years before moving to downtown Plainfield, Waldron says.

Why did you move? More foot traffic in Plainfield.

What do you sell? Home décor items, candles, purses, cards, gift items and baskets. Art objects, including hand-painted glass, pottery and jewelry, are sold on consignment.

Do you have an online business? No.

What made you want to open a store? "I've always wanted to do it since I was little," Waldron says. She used to vacation with her parents in northern Wisconsin and loved the gift shops she saw along the way, especially in Door County. She promised herself that one day she would open her own, she says.

What is your business philosophy? The key is to be unique, she says. You want to sell items that people can't find in Target or other chain stores, and you want to have merchandise that's different from the other stores on the block, she says.

What's the coolest thing in your store right now? Waldron loves the Miche bags, which are purses with replaceable outer shells that allow you to change the look of your purse without having to change handbags.

What one item did you think you would never sell? "Oh, there are lots of them," Waldron says with a laugh. "Then I have a 'What was I thinking sale?' "

Does she ever bring home merchandise rather than sell it? "All the time," she says. "My house looks a lot like Aimee's Cottage."

Why is the Aimee in your store name spelled differently from your first name? It's an homage to her grandmother Aimee, after whom Waldron was named. Her parents preferred the more standard spelling, and by the time she was old enough to change it, she decided not to, she says.

What did you do before you opened your store? Certified dental assistant.

Does anyone in your family work with you? No, although she says she's trying to persuade her 15-year-old daughter to help.

Where did you grow up? Berwyn.

Where is home now? Channahon.


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