Purposefully You fills a treasured place in the Village

After spending 20 years as a community staple, Creations by Char moved out of the Village in February with the retirement of Char Anderson, the store’s owner and namesake.

In March, Purposefully You moved in, with big shoes to fill.

“Creations by Char has been a staple in our community for over 20 years and we were honored to help share her intentions with the community so the business she created could continue on,” Washington Chamber of Commerce Director Michelle Redlinger said when Anderson announced her retirement. “We are extremely excited to see her enjoy her retirement as well as see her pass the reins to another local entrepreneur.”

Purposefully You Owner Leslie Allendar said she felt a responsibility to fill the gap in Anderson’s absence.

“Char was definitely a big part of the downtown market for many years, so for me it was a privilege to come in and continue carrying clothing, women’s apparel, for their customer base,” she said. “For me it was being able to continue a business on the square rather than having a void … I saw an opportunity to continue something that had been working great, had been a great service for a lot of our residents.”

Keeping the business in the Village, specifically, was a big deal.

“The Village is a co-op, a place where individual shop owners collectively rent space and work the business,” Allendar said. “It keeps you in the know of what the shopper is … you have an opportunity to see the customer, get to know them by name. That is the appeal for small business.”

Allendar said her predecessor played a big role in getting the new store off the ground.

“Char was wonderful to share with me a lot of vendors she worked with, along with the type of customers that shopped,” she said. “She knew and zeroed in on the customer very well, so why change that? She was very helpful in that transition … she was a wealth of information because she was passionate not only about her shop, but about the Village.”

One way the new store sets itself apart from the other clothing stores in town is its sizing. Allendar said she was careful to keep larger sizes in stock, a market that can be hard to find elsewhere.

“We carry a lot of plus-sizing, and in town that’s a need,” she said. “So we go from small to 3X in sizing with our clothing mix.”

The new business is doing well so far, according to Allendar.

“From when we started in March, we’ve been building momentum, sales are increasing,” Allendar said. “It’s been very positive in the feedback we have received as well, and we’re looking to see what else we can bring into the mix.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com