MILLTOWN — Emily Lovuolo is closing her shop on Main Street but opening it up to a wider audience … the cyber world.
The 37-year-old owner of Ommie’s Treasures said she is expecting her first child in January, and that is one of the reasons she has decided to close her “bricks and mortar” store July 31.
Since 2005, she has operated the store in the North Main Street location that for 53 years was occupied by Modern Maid Fashion Shoppe.
By opening an online store, the South Brunswick resident hopes to not only keep offering her unique children’s clothing to her loyal customers, but to help expand her little shop to a bigger audience. By becoming a strictly online merchant, Lovuolo said she can continue her business and, at the same time, be a stay-at-home mom.
To celebrate her new venture, Lovuolo is having a party, an “Ommie’s Going Online Sale Party,” with discounts of 40 to 60 percent until the end of the month.
Ommie’s Treasures has clothing for new- borns through age 7, for both boys and girls. Lovuolo has also launched a new blog, ommiestreasures. blogspot.com, where she talks about new products, special trends in babies’ and children’s clothes, virtual dress-up and her plans to do home-parties/trunk shows for local customers. She can also be followed on twitter@ommieloveskids.
Lovuolo said the economy is difficult for everyone, but suggested ways Milltown could improve its business district.
“The town itself is not commerce-oriented,” she said, adding that the borough should have its own Chamber of Commerce or similar organization. Lovuolo noted that it is more of a drive-through than a walkthrough town.
She said hers is a destination shop and noted that she has loyal customers.
“Milltown has a lot of upscale shops and businesses, but when people think of Milltown, they don’t think that they’re here,” she said. Nonetheless, Lovuolo calledMilltown “a great community” and said officials need to get the word out that the town has some of the same characteristics as Princeton or Metuchen, for example, if on a smaller scale.