Hopscotch is Readying for Street Level Location

After four years in the second floor space above Freeman's Fish Market, popular Maplewood children's furniture and gift boutique Hopscotch is moving on…down…to the big time.

"It's great," said Kevin Barron, husband of owner and artist Bernadette Malizia Barron. "It's been going nice up there, but she's just thrilled to be down, to do a proper store in the center of the village."

The new location is 174 Maplewood Avenue, the space vacated when Maplewood Village Optical moved down the street to 170 Maplewood Ave.

Kevin Barron says the main reason for the move is to make the store more accessible to customers. The couple considered locations in surrounding towns, but as 20-year residents of Maplewood, they are happy to be staying so close to home.

"It was always a struggle just to get the foot traffic upstairs," he added. "She has that type of business that attracts young moms with pushchairs and strollers. That's a real nightmare."

The store is closed while the couple renovates the new location, making the entrance-way more easily accessible for strollers, knocking down interior walls to open the space and building shelving to display the hand-painted pieces that have made Hopscotch a destination for customers seeking unique, hand-painted children's furniture, accessories and gifts.

The new store is about four times the size of the previous location, which the Barrons will now use for storage space. While the Hopscotch line of merchandise will not be expanding, the new space will allow for more concurrent, larger displays.

"It's going to be able to show all the doll furniture, the rockers, tables and chairs and also all the smaller things," he said.

It is a move that Julie Doran, of the Maplewood Village Alliance, thinks will play in Hopscotch's favor.

"Having a street level location is generally preferable for retail and food service establishments," she said. "Store fronts and windows are an important part of the advertising mix for these establishments and a street level location allows them to maximize this medium."

Regardless of the location, Hopscotch is sure to maintain the loyal following that it has developed over the past 18 years. Originally a store in Livingston, the Barrons closed the physical location for several years so that Bernadette could focus on raising their three children. She maintained a web presence throughout, and made a name for the store by visiting boutique shows all along the East Coast.

With her youngest child in school, Bernadette returned to the retail market in 2006. Doran believes that the street level location will attract even more customers.

"While a large amount of consumer shopping behavior is dictated by planned trips, street level locations allow for impulse shopping, which is essential for local independently owned businesses to thrive," she said.

Hopscotch will host a soft opening on August 23^rd, but has yet to announce a Grand Opening.