Petoskey resident Cheryl Carrier and her sister, Deena Schaffer, have had successful professional careers in the nonprofit and social work fields. Now at a time in their lives when many people choose to retire, they have purchased a retail store in downtown Petoskey.
Carrier and Schaffer took over ownership of Shed Fine Goods on Bay Street, a uniquely curated store with home goods like pottery, antiques, homemade jewelry, housewares and more. The company only sells original items, rather than mass-produced, and no two items for sale are alike.
The sisters purchased the store from the previous owners, who spent seven years there. Carrier shopped at Shed Fine Goods for many years before purchasing it, as she lives just three blocks away. Schaffer lives downstate but will be moving to the Petoskey area later this year to help run the retail store with her older sister.
“This is a good, creative outlet for me,” said Carrier, who has spent roughly the last 25 years as executive director for a nonprofit that supports career development for young people. Carrier is “pulling back” a little in that role before eventually retiring to focus on being an entrepreneur.
“This opportunity has fueled my creative spirit, which you need to do at my age,” said Carrier, 65. “We loved the vibe of the shop and will keep that, but will bring in our own style and ideas. It was the right place, right time for us.”
Schaffer has spent most of her professional life as a social worker helping special needs children at South Lyon Public Schools in suburban Detroit. The sisters purchased the business back in mid-November, keeping the name and merchandise. It was open occasionally during the holiday season and winter but will soon be open seven days a week for the summer season. Shed Fine Goods will likely reduce its off-season hours to the holiday season and weekends, Carrier said.
She and Schaffer come from Italian heritage and have curated handmade jewelry and other accessories with an “Italian flair.” They also carry antiques from Morocco, towels from Mexico and an array of Persian rugs. The inventory list changes regularly and will evolve further based on customer demand, Carrier added.
“We’re happy to find customized items for people,” Carrier said. “If we can find it, we’ll curate it.”
Carrier and Schaffer also work with local designers to match a “couch to available décor” and align items in environments that fit. They enjoy working with customers to find truly unique items.
The sisters plan to attend community events and interact with fellow entrepreneurs in the coming weeks.
“We want to do everything we can to be a good neighbor,” Carrier said. “This is where I chose to live later in life and it’s where I want to build a business.”
Learn more about Shed Fine goods at shedfinegoods.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Sisters take ownership of Shed Fine Goods in downtown Petoskey
Reporting by M. Alan Scott, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By M. Alan Scott, The Petoskey News-Review | USA TODAY Network
