Pop-up shop opens in downtown Cedar Rapids

A retail shop has popped up downtown - although it's a little behind schedule.

Women's accessory store the Enchanted Gift opened Thursday at 207 Second Ave. SE, Suite 300. The store is part of a Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance pilot program aimed at filling vacant downtown storefronts with retail shops.

The agency and private property owners are offering no-cost, short-term leases for two months to give retailers a chance to grow their businesses and possibly enter into a long-term lease agreement.

However, when the program was originally announced in early May, the Economic Alliance planned for a June 15 to Aug. 17 timeline.

Pam Hinman, spokeswoman for the Economic Alliance, said the delay comes from the fact that many food service vendors applied to take part in the pop-up shop program, but there were no property applications to accommodate their operations.

Hinman said the economic development group is still accepting retailer and property owner applications. The program would like to attract include local or regional retailers that feature gifts, home goods, apparel and accessories, specialty food, books, sporting goods, pet items, art galleries, photo studios, music schools and other culture related retail items.

The Economic Alliance will evaluate the pop-up shop pilot program once it wraps up in September, she said, to see if it was successful and if the agency should offer it again. The Economic Alliance will base the success of the program off of feedback from participating retailers and foot traffic.

Sandra Rinderknecht, owner of the Enchanted Gift, has been in the jewelry business for 17 years, and has operated an online business along with selling her goods at the downtown farmer's market and women's conferences and events.

Rinderknecht said balancing both her store and travels will be a challenge, as she attends about 30 conferences a year in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

"I have three children and a wonderful husband who help price jewelry, make jewelry. We put them to work," she said.

The store will host an open house from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., on Aug. 7. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.