NORTH ADAMS -- A new business on Eagle Street is looking to become a fixture of the local marketplace with its offerings of hemp and organic clothing, handmade jewelry and art.
Head Eaze, operated by Justin Bergeron and Nicole McCorkindale, opened at 28 Eagle St. last month to a warm reception and has seen business increase since then.
"Things are steadily picking up," Bergeron said Saturday. "People are coming in and saying they heard about us. Sales are picking up each weekend."
Bergeron said the store is aimed mostly at college students but will also appeal to "really anybody," with a selection of men and women’s "Earth-friendly" apparel that will change with the seasons.
"I wish we could find a clothing supplier locally, but the art and jewelry mainly is where the local supply comes in," Bergeron said, noting that roughly 15 to 20 percent of the store’s stock comes from within the region. "We’re also open to local artisans coming in with what they make. Whatever we can do to help the local economy."
Art and jewelry is sold at Head Eaze on consignment. Bergeron said he and McCorkindale have plans to add natural and organic body products -- including soaps, lotions, lip balms and salves -- and a line of hemp shoes to the store’s selection in the future. The pair is open to local producers of these products as well, he said.
"We make merchandise orders weekly," Bergeron said. "Any money
Though only open on weekends at the moment, Bergeron and McCorkindale are working toward making a full-time establishment.
"I hope to bring a lot more business and people to this area," McCorkindale said. "We’re originally from the Holyoke area, and we’re spreading the word in our area for people to come up here -- not just to see us, but to see places like Mass MoCA because it’s such a wonderful area here."
Though hailing from the Holyoke area, Bergeron camped at Historic Valley Campground at Windsor Lake as a child and saw potential in the city for making a long-standing plan with McCorkindale come to fruition.
"We saw a town that we thought needed a store like this," he said. "All hip little towns need a store like this. We always dreamed of having a little retail business of our own. We saw the opportunity and jumped on it."
Bergeron has a background in human services, working with children with special needs and behavioral issues, and McCorkindale’s professional experience is as a chef, but they’re jumping in with their new venture.
"Everybody’s been so kind and welcoming," Bergeron said. "We believe in what we sell and we love this area."
Follow Michael J. Foster on Twitter: @NAT_DigitalMike
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