What makes someone choose to spend an afternoon wandering through an independent retail store when they could buy almost anything from their phone?
For Julie and The Winterberry Companies, the answer isn't one product, one trend, or even one perfectly styled display. It's the experience created when all of those things come together.
Now celebrating its 10-year anniversary and its best year yet, Winterberry has built a loyal following by blending vintage finds, new home décor, apparel, gifts, and thoughtful merchandising into a store that feels collected, personal, and always worth another visit.
We sat down with Julie to talk about what customers are buying, how shopping habits are changing, what goes into Winterberry's memorable displays, and what she's learned about creating an independent retail experience customers want to return to.
At Winterberry, vintage and new merchandise aren't treated as separate categories. They're intentionally mixed to tell a story.
“The shop is a curated mix of vintage and new items displayed in a way that captures the senses,” Julie says. “Each table or display tells a story with found objects alongside new pieces.”
That could mean old books stacked beneath a decorative gold butterfly or a faux houseplant tucked into a vintage crock atop an antique hand-carved stool.
The goal isn't necessarily for customers to recreate a display exactly. Julie wants them to see possibilities.
“I want our customers to feel like they can mix what they have at home, then purchase a few updated items and create a new look,” she says. “I want customers to feel welcome, appreciated and renewed.”
Mixing old and new has been part of Julie's retail philosophy for decades. She previously owned a store from 2002 to 2010 before opening Winterberry in 2016, and both stores embraced the same approach.
Sometimes, that storytelling gets especially creative.
For one Halloween season, Julie created a haunted circus display using vintage porcelain dolls dressed with tattooed sleeves, an old burgundy velour child's chair, striped candy dishes, pumpkin figures, and LED Halloween lanterns.
It's that intentionality, she says, that helps Winterberry's mix of old and new feel distinctly its own.
Winterberry's current best sellers show just how varied today's independent retail customer can be.
On the vintage side, Julie is seeing demand for old oil paintings for gallery walls, unique wood frames, vintage textiles and linens, and mid-century barware and furniture.
Among new merchandise, olivewood trays and bowls, owls, butterflies, mahjong products, diffusers, and self-care items are performing well.
But Winterberry's top categories today are actually clothing and jewelry, something Julie hadn't necessarily anticipated when developing the store's original merchandise mix.
Both categories have grown year over year, which she attributes in part to filling a need within the local market and keeping prices approachable.
And then there are the surprises.
Greeting cards have become an unexpectedly strong category, with customers often purchasing five, ten, or more at a time from Winterberry's card wall featuring a variety of categories and small companies.
It's a good reminder that sometimes customers help shape what a store becomes.
Julie has noticed another shift this year that has less to do with any particular product.
More women are shopping together.
“This year has been great for us so far. We are having our best year ever while celebrating our 10-year anniversary,” Julie says. “I am noticing more groups of ladies shopping as they make Winterberry part of their outing with friends.”
For Julie, that's particularly meaningful.
“We are all busy with work and family obligations, but when two friends make time for lunch and Winterberry, I am beaming with pride because we are worth it to them.”
Customers continue to purchase plenty of gifts, but Julie says they often find something for themselves before reaching the register, too.
She's also noticed a shift within home décor. Larger pieces have slowed somewhat at Winterberry, while smaller accents such as LED candles, vases, and faux greenery have helped make up those sales.
Customers still want to refresh their homes. They're simply finding different ways to do it.
For Julie, a product has to pass one test before trends or price enter the conversation:
Quality.
She can spot the prettiest floral on a wall, but if she touches it and the leaves begin falling off, it isn't something she wants to sell.
The same applies to dishes with glaze bubbles, sharp edges, or other signs that quality may become an issue once she's ordering them in quantity.
“I also look for unique items that I don't see elsewhere, but they also have to pass the quality test,” she says. “Of course price point makes a difference, but I would pay $1 more if the item was constructed better.”
Julie also prioritizes new introductions and trusted core products over chasing discounted or discontinued merchandise.
For her, the buying decision isn't simply about finding the lowest price. It's about choosing merchandise she'll feel confident putting in front of her customers.
Julie is unequivocal about this one.
“Merchandising is critical to the success of the product.”
A strong display doesn't simply make a store look good. It helps customers understand how products can work together and gives them ideas they may not have been able to visualize on their own.
Julie considers five things when building a display:
Levels. Cleanliness. Color cohesiveness. Mixed textures. Ease of shopping.
Then she does something remarkably simple.
She walks away.
When she returns, she approaches the display as if she's seeing it for the first time.
Is it interesting? Does it make you want to look deeper? Can you reach for an item without everything else tumbling down? Are products displayed at different levels? Could a customer easily select two or three pieces to create a gift or recreate the look at home?
“So many people don't have the knack for putting together the perfect gift or the swanky entry table at their own home, so they come to your store for the ideas and encouragement. Give it to them!”
That's perhaps the simplest explanation of why good merchandising matters.
You're not only showing customers what to buy.
You're helping them understand what to do with it.
At Winterberry, holiday preparation starts long before Christmas merchandise reaches the sales floor.
Throughout the year, Julie gathers vintage pieces from flea markets, estate sales, and auctions while sourcing new merchandise at gift and apparel markets in Atlanta and Las Vegas.
Then comes the transformation.
Winterberry closes for 3½ days in September to reset the entire store for fall. In November, the team closes for another 3½ days and does it all over again for Christmas.
Virtually every piece of furniture moves.
The goal is to create a completely fresh experience for customers entering the new season.
Julie also knows how important those months are to an independent retailer.
“We know the importance of fourth quarter and how it can make or break a retailer.”
Her advice is to prepare both merchandise and staffing well before the rush, but she doesn't stop there.
Think about the senses.
Scent. Music. Events. Nostalgia. Christmas lights. Joy.
Her advice for Q4?
“This is not the season to hold back.”
For all the strategy involved in running Winterberry, Julie's advice here is surprisingly simple:
Treat your shop like your home.
Welcome customers as though they're visiting friends. Greet them when they arrive. Thank them when they leave, whether they've purchased something or not. Learn their names when you can. Have real conversations.
“Everyone wants to be noticed and feel connected,” Julie says.
At the same time, keep listening.
What are customers asking for? What's trending? What's happening in the community? What holiday is around the corner?
Independent retailers have a unique opportunity to help customers anticipate what's next.
Someone walks into the store, sees the first fall display, and thinks, I can't believe it's that time already.
Then they start imagining the season ahead.
When the environment feels welcoming and the displays provide inspiration, that anticipation can become part of the reason customers keep returning.
For Julie, a good vendor relationship extends well beyond finding products she likes.
She looks for companies that understand the realities of retail: dependable inventory, timely and complete shipments, responsive service when something goes wrong, new introductions alongside proven best sellers, easy ordering, and sales representatives who make an effort to understand her business.
That last piece matters.
Whether a rep physically visits the store or simply takes the time to follow along on social media, Julie values vendors who understand where their products ultimately end up.
“If I take the time to place an order with a vendor and decide that my budgeted money will be spent on their items, will they ship my order fairly complete and in a timely fashion?” she says. “Will they understand that I want to bring their goods into the mix of my shop that I work around the clock to make a success?”
For Julie, the best vendor relationships feel like partnerships.
“These are the vendors that are worth pursuing. The vendors that are in it WITH you.”
Winterberry has worked with Melrose for more than 16 years, and we're grateful to be part of the mix Julie has created.
There isn't one formula for building a successful independent retail store.
Winterberry's assortment has evolved. Unexpected categories have become best sellers. Customer habits continue to change.
What has remained consistent is the intention behind the experience.
Choose quality. Listen to your customers. Merchandise with purpose. Give shoppers ideas and inspiration. Build real relationships. And make each new season feel worth showing up for.
Perhaps most importantly, create a place people don't simply need to visit.
Create a place they choose to come back to.
What makes an independent retail store memorable?
A memorable store combines thoughtful merchandising, quality products, personal service, and an experience that gives customers a reason to spend time there and return.
What should retailers look for in a wholesale partner?
Julie prioritizes product quality, reliable inventory, timely fulfillment, new introductions, proven best sellers, responsive service, and representatives who understand her business.
How can retailers prepare for the holiday season?
Prepare merchandise and staffing early, then think beyond product. Julie recommends using merchandising, scent, music, lighting, events, and nostalgia to create an immersive seasonal experience.
What makes a strong retail display?
Julie focuses on varied levels, cleanliness, cohesive color, mixed textures, and ease of shopping. Most importantly, the display should help customers envision products working together.