Local retailers are taking notice of a new opportunity in the area surrounding the now-defunct St. Louis Centre. Construction is already underway on the Collective (626 Washington), a new co-op of mini-shops that is part of the Mercantile Exchange project. With this concept, retailers rent floor space (in some cases as little as 2-by-2 feet) for their merchandise, and the Collective does the rest. Former St. Louis Magazine style editor Nicole Benoist is the director and managing curator of the co-op, which is set to open in early September.
"There is fear in doing retail downtown,” says Benoist. “But this project takes some of that fear away. It has also worked well because of the great relationships I had with the boutiques from working with St. Louis Magazine.”
So far, 22 vendors have signed short-term leases for mini-shops with the Collective. These include fashionista favorites like Blush Boutique, Byrd Style Lounge, Ivy Hill Boutique and Women’s Closet Exchange. But the co-op will also feature gifts, accessories and home decor from a variety of vendors, including Q Boutique, Genovese Jewelers, Adam Foster Fine Art Jewelry, twigs & MOSS, STL Style, stationer Retta le Ritz and candy shop Oh Lolli Lolli. There will even be a St. Louis-themed mini-market in the back, selling local favorites like Billy Goat chips.
Once the Collective is up and running, Benoist hopes to hold trunk shows, art shows and other events in the approximately 3,500-square-foot space. But the Collective is just one part of the redevelopment of the MX District, which will incorporate a mix of retail, restaurants and entertainment venues to draw patrons to the area.
“My favorite part is that the Collective is a one-stop shop. But what has been even more exciting is the great energy. Everybody wants this project to succeed,” Benoist says.
