Winter 2008

Cashing in on Country

Primitive Treasures

Susie’s Bittersweet Treasures started as a germ of an idea more than 10 years ago, when Susan Gordon and her friends were tired of driving miles to find shops that stocked country and primitive decor.

With some friends, she decided to make some “treasures” and sell them at a local craft fair. Many years later, Gordon was so taken with the idea that she decided to open a primitive and country decor shop in Rochester, NH. Susie’s Bittersweet Treasures opened its doors in August 2001, and Gordon has not looked back since.

The store, which has four part-time employees, stocks candles, potpourri, dinnerware, seasonal items, birdhouses, pillows and many other varieties of home decor. Gordon says the primary emphasis is on superior customer service. “My staff and I continue to make that effort to meet that goal each day, and in the process we have had the opportunity to meet lots of wonderful people, share many decorating ideas and even get to know many of our customers on a more personal level,” Gordon says.

Customers who come back happy are her ultimate reward, Gordon says. “They are happy with their homes—now that they have found us to help them with home decor,” she says. Gordon describes her clientele as smart and savvy. “They are very careful with their purchases and really want what they buy. They are aspiring to make their homes into a well-loved, warm place, reminiscent of olden times where their children can make their own memories.”

Gordon got into the business by making many of the products she sold, but she says she no longer has the time for that. However, her father makes many items for the store—including birdhouses, blanket boxes and jelly cabinets—and her nephew paints them.

Gordon says timely delivery of products was once challenging, but is now under control. What continues to be a challenge is keeping displays fresh and appealing. “I am always coming up with new ideas and strive to remain true to my style,” Gordon says.

She hopes her store will continue to grow and that 10 years from now, Susie’s Bittersweet Treasures will still be a place where friends can visit and get refreshed and rejuvenated.

A believer in keeping it local, Gordon encourages many area artists to showcase their work in her store.

“I love my local artisans. They help me make my shop different from other shops,” she says. The artists can also customize products: dolls, pillows, folk-art paintings. That helps strengthen the store’s customer-service motto—make people feel special and important—Gordon says.

Gordon says there is a natural attraction to country decor that is irresistible. According to her, country invokes a “warm, comforting, something baking in the oven” kind of atmosphere. “With primitive country decor, the more distressed something is, the more it feels like it belonged to your Nana—and Nana brings us back to those wonderful childhood memories that we all love,” Gordon says.