Small Business Saturday: twine. in Hopewell, NJ
As a general shopper of all things local, I found myself in a store that seemed like it was essentially made for me. twine. located in the local community of Hopewell, is a gift shop filled with pop culture items, books, greeting cards, toys, and more.
I was greeted at the store by Stanley, a Shar Pei mix wearing a colorful bowtie. Stanley is the official greeter and mascot of twine., and is the dog-child of Bailey Cookman who operates the store with her mother and original founder of the store, Melissa.
Melissa was inspired to become a shopkeeper a decade ago with a dream to display her “eclectic, random sensibilities” in an open floorplan. She wanted to open her store somewhere that had that small-town feel. And she got it! “Hopewell Boro is just a wonderful, close-knit community. We all look out for each other, not even just as businesses but also as people. We’re the kind of town where kids will ride their bike to the shop just to buy some candy after school and then hang outside and eat it with their friends. It’s painfully cute and that small-town feel is one of Hopewell’s best attributes.”, says Bailey who now owns the store.
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Bailey joined twine. in 2017. When she came on board she added to the store her love of popular culture (we bonded over Star Wars, the Office, and Parks and Rec), an e-commerce component so you can shop the store online, and helped launch li’l twine. which features items for kiddos like books, onesies, bibs, stuffed animals, etc. Perfect for gifts for the unique kid in your life.
The store offers an eclectic amount of fun items from unique cards for all occasions, soap, coloring books, stickers, candles, socks, accessories, home goods, and more. If you’re a fan of The Office, Parks and Rec, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Schitt’s Creek…they got you. If you’re a dog parent or a cat parent…they got you too.
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As for what makes the store stand out, Bailey told New Jersey Isn’t Boring, “I think twine. is unique in a couple of regards. Firstly, we make a conscious effort to carry cards and products you don’t see everywhere. If we can find it easily in other places we discontinue it at twine. We pride ourselves on our unique items and snarky humor. With our tag line ‘everything you want and didn’t know you need'”.
The store carries as many products as they can that give back and support as many local and/or small artists and vendors. Some of the biggest vendors Blue Q, Bella Tunno, Out of Print, Pinch Me Dough…etc donate back with every product sold.
Other than the store itself, what impressed me most is the relationship that twine. has created with the nonprofit I Support The Girls. Their shop is a permanent donation station; collecting feminine hygiene products, gently used bras, and new underwear for women and children in Central Jersey.
“We donate time, money, or products to whatever events we can. We are a permanent donation station for ISTG(I Support the Girls) and have been for about 4 years. We collect feminine hygiene products, gently used bras, and new underwear for women and children in Central Jersey and sponsor fundraisers like Drag Queen Trivia Nights (another coming this fall/winter) to raise money for ISTG.”, says Bailey.
I left the store with a plush sushi from Jelly cat, sparkling markers, an NJ themed mug, stickers of female political leaders, a candle, a deck of cards featuring the Office, a prison Mike (from the office ornament), a cosmic bath bomb, and a magnet proclaiming my love of dogs.
I also bought a Spice Girls birthday card, a Ron Swanson ornament, a Schitt’s creek magnet, and stickers to give as gifts.
The store can wrap any gift purchases with a choice of paper and TWINE. Every purchase also comes with a slip, a nice slip of paper that’s handwritten by Melissa. It’s a beautiful and personal touch!
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Bailey says, “I think twine. is just about being a happy, positive atmosphere. We’re all about empowering the world to be a better place and strongly promote equal rights for all regardless of gender, religion, or ethnicity. So many customers tell us that we are their happy place when they need a break from the world. They come in to browse, listen to some great music and just laugh. And of course, grab a gift or card. But there is no higher compliment than that. We just want to bring joy in any form we can.”
As for the future, there is potential for another shop location or other retail opportunities. Bailey would also love to bring back outdoor movie nights, an event they would hold in the backyard at twine. Luckily they have a loyal customer base who kept them afloat during the pandemic with their continuous support.
“We care about the people in our community and it’s clear they care about us too. Whether it was happily following our COVID protocols or waiting outside in the cold and rain when we reached capacity inside, our customers have continued to show that twine. is appreciated by the community. And we will continue to do our part to be there for them.”
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“What I do know is that twine. is not going anywhere and we will continue to be the home of everything you want and didn’t know you needed.”
For more information on twine. visit their Website, Facebook, and Instagram.
