Our roundup of the latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:
Wellesley Square merchants invest in air filters
Leaving their doors or windows open isn’t going to fly for Wellesley retailers too much longer with winter coming, so at least a handful of them have purchased newfangled air filters that go by the sexy name Vollara to bolster the safety of visiting their shops during the pandemic.
Among those purchasing the compact systems are Anderson’s Jewelers, Comina, Footstock, Joel Bagnal Jewelers, London Harness and TUMI Wellesley, Wellesley Books, and Mane & Mani. The merchants got a good deal on them by buying in bulk, and some are deploying the equipment in locations beyond Wellesley.
The plug-and-play systems are designed to give customers extra assurance of shop cleanliness beyond physical surface cleaning, mask wearing and social distancing. The vendor drops NASA’s approval and fancy terms like “Hydroxyl Blaster” in boasting of the product’s ability to purify indoor air and kill the virus that causes COVID-19 on surfaces.
Demian Wendrow, who owns London Harness and TUMI Wellesley and leads the Wellesley Square Merchants’ Association, says investing in gear like this is challenging for retailers given the impact of the pandemic on business. “But we’re all making sure we’re doing everything to make our stores as safe as possible for customers who want to visit,” he says.
Grand opening for Aldi supermarket
Mrs. Swellesley swung by the new Aldi supermarket just over the Wellesley line in Natick, and has the scoop for you on what it’s all about. Among other things: mostly their own private-label goods.
Fat Face closed
The Church Square shop Fat Face, a British clothing brand that opened its Wellesley location in late 2018, has now closed.
It does have other locations in the state that remain open in Boston, Concord, and Lynnfield.
Wellesley High grad schooling young actors
Wellesley hometowner Isis Nile Glover has launched a venture called Young Excellence on Screen (Y.E.S.) designed to help young people of color learn acting. The Boston Globe has more on Glover’s efforts to pass on her knowledge of the modeling and acting business to others.
Beyond Wellesley, Fran’s Flowers has moved
Fran’s Flowers is moving once again for what the 40-year old garden business hopes will be for good. Let’s hope third time’s the charm for the much-loved plants place, which has been semi-nomadic ever since it lost its long-time spot a few years ago in the former Building 19 parking lot parking lot at the Route 9/27 plaza in Natick.
For a while Fran’s operated out of the “snow farm” parking lot near Shoppers World. Then it was over to the Kohl’s lot in Framingham. Now they’ve transplanted themselves 900 feet down the road, between Shoppers World and Walmart. Some readers may remember the location as being the former home of Walpole Woodworkers.
