Retail

“My goal is to be the first black woman-owned adult beverage company. I dream big,” said Shoe Crazy Wine owner Gwen Hurt.

The local retail scene saw some seasoned stores relocate or add new locations in 2022, while new-to-market brands selling everything from sporting goods to Legos decided this was the year to make their Richmond debut.

Bugle Call Coffee has recently rolled out a mobile café trailer, added some new roasting equipment and expanded its bean lineup.

“Our brand has had the best revenue year yet. However…frozen transportation costs soared beginning in the summer and just remained sky-high into the winter months,” the CEO of O’My Dairy Free Gelato said of the company’s financial troubles.

The store reopened this month with its new features after being temporarily closed during the summer and fall for the expansion.

The former real estate agent discovered the business on social media and said she saw it as an opportunity to make a career of an interest in flowers she further cultivated during the pandemic.

The aftermath of a massive bank merger has opened the door for the local furniture store to make a move in the West End.

The local menswear brand is moving out of its space at 315 W. Broad St. and planning to reopen elsewhere in Richmond, though it hasn’t inked a lease yet.