The Curiosity Shop grows by keeping the accent on products from Britain
Aiken, SC — It’s been 10 years since The Curiosity Shop, a Celtic-oriented gift shop, opened in Aiken.
Since then, Amy Neeley and John Heaton’s store has evolved into the premier destination for those interested in products from the United Kingdom.
The store, at the corner of Newberry Street and Richland Avenue, stocks a variety of British items, including foods, blended bulk teas, jewelry and books.
“We’re kind of eclectic people,” Ms. Neeley said. “It’s amazing we’ve been able to stick to one theme.”
But the store is not the shop the husband and wife originally planned. Because of their Scottish ancestry, Ms. Neeley said, she had envisioned a store that focused more on the “romantic ideas” associated with Scotland, such as tartans, silver and thistle.
However, as word of the store spread, they began to receive more requests for specialty orders, especially British food.
“We had no idea when we opened there was a significant population of British expatriates in our area,” Ms. Neeley said.
They also began to realize that many people in the area had ancestors from the British Isles.
