Big changes in Church Square in Wellesley:

Dover Saddlery closing in Wellesley after 50+ years

Dover Saddlery, Wellesley. Photo credit: Brice MacLaren

Dover Saddlery, a Wellesley institution for more than 50 years, has announced its store at 595 Washington Street will soon be closing. The equestrian equipment and apparel company, based in Littleton, Mass. and operating dozens of locations across the country, has filed a document with the state warning it will be laying off 112 people in July.

According to a post that looks AI-generated on the Wellesley store’s Facebook page: “Our Wellesley, MA store will soon be closing its doors. Thank you for your support and loyalty over the years. Serving you and your horse has truly been our privilege, and we’re grateful for the trust you’ve placed in us. With sincere gratitude, we thank you for riding with Dover and wish you the best on your riding journey.” The store is having a closing sale.

You’d never know anything is amiss by looking at Dover Saddlery’s cheerful website, but the equestrian equipment and apparel company has gone through the private equity gauntlet over the past decade, trying different strategies to expand and strengthen its business.

The Wellesley Celebrations Committee during last year’s Wellesley Wonderful Weekend celebrated Dover Saddlery with a Special Recognition Award for its 50 years of business in town. The recognition write-up in part read:

Dover Saddlery was founded in 1975 by Jim and David Powers, former members of the USET Three-Day Event Team. Fresh from the 1972 Olympic Games in Germany, Jim Powers wanted to offer riders in New England a saddlery shop dedicated to providing a broad selection of the best tack available from around the world. His vision was to use the knowledge he gained from having trained and competed with top international riders to select and develop the best products for horses and riders. Soon, David Powers joined Jim with the idea of making Dover Saddlery’s expertise available to equestrians across the United States with a mail order catalog.

While Dover Saddlery grew rapidly and expanded quickly beyond its first retail store location in Wellesley, Massachusetts, its founding principles of offering world-class service and products remained the focus of the organization. The company is staffed by a team of experienced, dedicated equestrians who understand the needs of horse owners and riders. They know how to “turn out” riders and horses. They know the importance of a comfortable performance breech or a well-fitted saddle and the unbeatable durability of properly tanned leather.

The Village Bank opens applications for retail incubator

The Village Bank, which expects to open its first Wellesley location at 579 Washington St. this summer, has opened the application for entrepreneurs interested in being considered for a rent-free, 725 sq. ft. retail pop-up space inside the branch.

The bank is partnering with UpNext, which connects property owners with businesses to temporarily use retail spaces, to find candidates for”The Village Shop” space. The aim at the Wellesley location is to feature a rotating series of pop-ups that would operate in the dedicated storefront throughout the year.

This marks the bank’s first such pop-up space for retailers, though future residencies are planned for Needham and beyond.

The Village Bank’s Wellesley branch will also include a community room available to residents during non-banking hours for civic meetings and community activities.