Photo by Larry Ferguson
Anyone who’s visited Eclectic OCC at 2518 W. Colorado Ave. in Old Colorado City can testify that the store’s name is spot on.
And they would probably also tell you that the diverse styles and tastes of the artists and craftspeople who produce the variety of products on the shelves keep customers coming back.
“I’d say most of the people who come here find something that resonates with them, makes them feel emotions that they wouldn’t necessarily feel in other stores,” said store manager Emma Hunter.
Eclectic OCC, which bills itself as a boutique-style makers’ market, operates as a retail cooperative consisting of about 60 members. Peri Bolts and Ani Barrington opened it in November 2020.
It is the second of three stores bearing the Eclectic name. Bolts opened the first, Eclectic CO, a little more than three years ago in the 200 block of North Tejon Street in Colorado Springs; the third was established in Littleton last October.
From the start, Bolts decided to adhere to strict guidelines: her stores would feature products that are local, sustainable and handmade. The strategy has proven to be a winner, attracting co-op members from the Pikes Peak region and Denver.
Among the categories of products available:
• Apparel, especially children’s and vintage clothing;
• Jewelry, such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings;
• Home goods, including candles, picture frames, travel bags, leather key chains, art prints and plants;
• Body products such as toothbrushes, perfumes, soaps and beard oils;
• Greeting cards and Colorado-themed stickers; and
• Baby and toddler apparel and accessories.
At Eclectic OCC, members contribute several hours working at the store each month, in addition to paying rent that is based on the size of their space. They pay a low commission of 10 percent on sales.
Participating artists and merchants are all Front Range residents and must be “community and collaboration-minded people,” according the application form posted on the business’ website at shopeclecticco.com.
The website also features plenty of photos of the sellers and their products, along with brief biographical information and descriptions of the items for sale. The company’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/eclecticcolorado, also regularly promotes the sellers and keeps track of special events and promotions in Old Colorado City.
“And customers really enjoy sometimes meeting the artists,” Hunter said. “It’s more fun having people working here who are part of the community and feel really invested in their products.”
Hunter and co-founder Barrington are both former and current vendors. Hunter specializes in children’s clothes and up-cycled Western wear, while Barrington, also the owner of Two Wolves Vintage, was among the first vendors to join the downtown Eclectic store when it opened.
Hunter said jewelry, greeting cards and stickers are among the store’s best-selling items. Tourists especially are attracted to the stickers promoting Colorado, and the store features more than a hundred of them on its “sticker wall.”
The downtown store was launched in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, but that didn’t discourage the founders. Although the state forced the store, along with other Colorado businesses, to shut down for several weeks, it managed to keep its core customers who proved exceedingly loyal.
“We were lucky to have people continuing to call in orders, make online orders and use curbside pickups,” Hunter said. “They were willing to stick with us through the really hard and weird times we’ve had during the last few years.”
That customer loyalty has extended to the Old Colorado City store, which continues to grow and recently added 10 new artists and crafts members.
Eclectic OCC, 2518 W. Colorado Ave., is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.
Information: 633-5807 or shopeclecticco.com.