Mulberry Lane, a home décor shop in downtown Hillsdale known for its antiques, country style, and variety of loose-leaf tea, is closing its doors Saturday with a blowout sale.
“The city will lose some of its color,” junior Sarah Albers said of the store’s closing.
Store owner Marlene Miller decided to close the shop so she can retire.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” Miller said. “I knew that up front. We’ve had a good, core customer base that has been really supportive and kept things going. Without that, we wouldn’t survive. It’s rewarding, all the compliments from customers. Their excitement over arrangements and displays and items keeps you going.”
Miller said she learned from her experience, especially the importance of hard work and community. The main reason for choosing to close Mulberry Lane’s doors now is that she wants it to end strong.
“I actually feel bad that some people are somewhat upset about it closing because they have been so good and so supportive, but on the other hand, when you physically just can’t keep going, it’s time,” Miller said. “I don’t want it to go downhill and people say, ‘Oh, gee, that’s not what it used to be.’ That’s not for me.”
Miller hasn’t made any commitments as she looks forward to retirement, but she hopes to finish a few impending projects.
Director of Hillsdale Economic Development Mary Wolfram said all closings of business impact communities.
“It’s unfortunate,” Wolfram said. “It’s a hard thing for surrounding businesses to have that empty storefront for them. Shopping is a critical mass. People come when there’s something to bring them there. Eventually, for sure, something will move in there. The market works. That can take months sometimes, maybe even a year.”
Students who often shopped at Mulberry Lane said they will miss its unique offerings.
“They have an excellent selection of loose-leaf tea and tea pots,” freshman Isla Epling said. “I loved the atmosphere. Everyone is always so nice and so helpful — I’m going to miss it.”
“It was very eclectic, very cute,” Albers said. “Hillsdale downtown has a lot of potential, and Mulberry Lane was an adorable business and something I felt was worth supporting. I remember chatting with the owner, and she was a lovely human being.”
While the ideal situation for her would be to sell the store, Miller says she does not have the time to find an owner.
“Businesses just don’t sell that easy,” Miller said. “You have to have somebody that has the money for it, but they also have to have the passion for it. You could spend years and years looking for somebody.”
Miller opened the shop in December 2009. She always wanted to own her own business, and with the collection of antiques she already had, she thought it was time to start her dream.
“It helped having a big accumulation,” Miller said. “Then we just added the home décor. Tea has been a big thing, especially with the college students. It’s a nice mix between antiques and country décor — a unique place to shop.”
The inspiration for Miller’s store derived from her family members’ interests and talents. She became interested in antiques from her grandmother, while the flower arrangements in the store were influenced by her mother, who was a florist. Miller’s entrepreneurial spirit came from her father, who owned a general store.
“It all flowed pretty naturally,” Miller said. “I’ve been around antiques all my life. That’s the style I like. In the process of opening this store [I have] changed from Victorian furniture to primitive and older antiques. They go hand-in-hand.”
While working in human resources, Miller came across a woman’s address with the street name of Mulberry Lane.
“I thought, ‘that is a cool place to live,’” Miller chuckled. “That always stuck in my head, so when I decided to do this, that sounded like it [was] what the name ought to be. It kind of fits with this sort of stuff.”
