Owners Casey and Sloane Simmons
of Brookside’s Stuff, Kansas City, Mo., will mark the 12th anniversary
of their eclectic store in November. Right now, the two sisters are
celebrating the fifth nomination for the Niche Magazine’s top retailers
of American fine crafts. Sloane and Casey received the first nomination
to be included in the top 100 in 2004. They moved into the ranks
of the Top 25 award in 2006, 2007 and this year. “The honor really
does come in the nomination because the artists nominate us,” Sloane
says. “The artists see that we fit the criteria like honesty, fair
pay policies and treating them with respect. We value their handcrafted
goods.”
Casey says the store is full of handmade
goods designed for the home, for gift giving and for some fine arts collecting.
Jewelry, clothing, home decor, paper goods, bath essentials and more from local,
regional, national and international artists can be found at Stuff.
The sisters work hard to give visitors
a comfortable and friendly environment. “We had those experiences as kids where
store clerks passed us over rather than look at kids as someone seeking exposure
to the arts,” Sloane says. Casey continues the idea, “No matter age, gender
or ethnicity, it doesn’t matter to us. We treat our artists with respect and
we expect that respect in return. We expect that same two-way street from customers
and our employees. We can be playful, hip, cool and trendy while being professional
and respectful.”
The Simmons sisters set their own high
standards, they say. “We have our arms open,” Sloane says. “We embrace everyone
despite business challenges.”
With 12 years in business, the Simmons
sisters still seek opportunities. They celebrate women with an annual Diva
Day. The two participate in the community’s Saint Patrick’s and Halloween events.
They also are part of raising funds for the Susan Henke Miller Breast Cancer
Research Fund (Wings of Hope, Nov. 8-9) and the AIDS Walk-Kansas City.
“We started the store by accident. As
political consultants, we had pristine, unused offices because we traveled
so much,” Sloane says. “Artist friends had small art showings. The Crossroads
did not exist at that time and there weren’t that many galleries. It just all
blossomed from there.”
Stuff
316 W. 63rd St.
Kansas City, MO 64113
www.pursuegoodstuff.com
