Welcome to Wild Roamer
Welcome to Wild Roamer
New Shop in Ellicottville Offers Vintage Camp Vibes
Photos / Wild Roamer
With the Holiday shopping season getting ready to bowl us over, it’s always nice to see a new shop opening - especially a local one with unique gift options. That’s just what the Wild Roamer store plans to offer. They recently moved into the old Purple Doorknob location on Monroe Street and have held their soft opening just this past weekend. (Their Grand Opening is slated for Saturday, November 18th… we’ll see you there!)
How did the shop get started? What makes them so unique? ellicottvilleNOW spoke with owner Carrie Lynch and she was happy to share their story about how they went from an online retailer to choosing a spot here in Ellicottville.
“We started this company from the ground up and we have always been in spaces that were either shared or a little off the beaten path. Honestly, there is nothing like seeing your customers in person; I love connecting with people and getting to create a beautiful curated space. A physical storefront is something I have dreamed about for a decade. I have always wanted a store in Ellicottville but logistically it just never worked out until now. The opportunity presented itself and honestly I couldn't say no!”
Carrie expresses how it feels different owning a physical locale. “Online is a great option for many but a storefront has endless opportunities to change and grow. We will be able to offer more things that we love and create a great shopping experience. The space also allows us an opportunity to grow our printing capabilities and even after the new year offer some printmaking and class opportunities.”
Wild Roamer plans to carry a mix of screen printed items like Buffalo t-shirts, mugs and stickers, along with vintage items and gifts. “We are focused on a vintage camp vibe and will offer a lot of national park related items, vintage camping gear, items that support the outdoors and some traditional gifts as well as supporting other women-owned businesses,” Carrie explained.
They aren’t kidding around with their inventory. The displays in their new space during last weekend’s soft opening boasted items from natural themed temporary tattoos to Buffalo-themed Christmas ornaments. Posters, pictures, vintage camping signs… so much variety in one small space! (They even have an old school Coleman drink dispenser!) So if you need to pick up a few gifts, be it for someone who collects neat vintage items or someone who would enjoy a jar of wild popcorn seeds, you can make this your go-to holiday shop.
And just because they are just getting started doesn’t mean Carrie is sleeping on her plans. She has a set vision moving forward into 2024. “Our plans for 2023 are to simply create a welcoming, beautifully curated space that people want to come out to, shop and support local. We are a small company so we will be working hard to keep our shelves full of awesome items for everyone who walks in the door. Our goals for 2024 are BIG! We hope to be able to increase our retail hours and we will also be incorporating private events, classroom experiences and art classes as well as growing our printing capabilities for our over 150 boutiques across the U.S. that we sell in. We hope to be able to offer much more in 2024!”
Currently the shop is open Thursday through Sunday starting at 11:00am. You can scope out some of their inventory ahead of time by visiting their website, wildroamer.shop, and if you have any questions you can reach out to Carrie at wildroamershop@gmail.com.
Carrie ended our conversation saying, “We are extremely excited to be in Ellicottville and are looking forward to our grand opening on November 18th. I encourage people to follow us on social media FB: @ Wild Roamer and IG: @wildroamer.shop.”