Jun 2, 2014

Old Lyme’s Bowerbird Marks 25 Years — and Navigates Tricky New World of Online CompetitionBy Ann BaldelliTheDay.com

Old Lyme, CT – There was a cupcake giveaway on a recent sunny Saturday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Bowerbird — “a feat not achieved by many in the ever-changing retail landscape,” boasted store owner Chris Kitchings.

But the seasoned businesswoman was not as confident when she took a break from her busy schedule recently to talk about The Bowerbird’s accomplishments and its future.

“Twenty-five years of brick and mortar retail is something we may not see in the next 25 years because it’s getting increasingly difficult to compete,” said Kitchings, whose 4,500-square-foot shop in the Old Lyme Marketplace has been voted the best gift shop in the state by Connecticut Magazine readers for the past five years.

Read complete article »