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Soft Surroundings Debuts New Store at Short Pump Town Center
October 2014
By Elise Patterson
Short Pump Town C enter welcomed Virginia’s first Soft Surroundings store last month, the first of six new stores the company plans to unveil this year. Originating as a mail order company founded in 1999, Soft Surroundings has experienced substantial growth since opening their first physical store in 2005; the Short Pump location marks their thirteenth store opening.
The grand opening was an event eagerly attended by many Richmond women, with customers lining up well before the store opened it’s doors. The first 100 customers received a complimentary gift bag valued at over 300$, the supply of which was quickly exhausted. Founder Robin Sheldon was also in attendance. Much of her inspiration for the brand, Sheldon said, was that women have become so adept at multi-tasking, they often forget to pamper themselves, focused instead on career, family, and home; with such a broad range of products available, Soft Surroundings hopes to help women consolidate their shopping experiences, while still providing clothing that is stylish and trendy, yet hugely comfortable to wear. In store, Soft Surroundings clearly has a focus on exactly this type of clothing—everything present was delectably soft to the touch, while still encompassing a wide range of styles for women of all ages and fashion sensibilities.
Short Pump Town C enter welcomed Virginia’s first Soft Surroundings store last month, the first of six new stores the company plans to unveil this year. Originating as a mail order company founded in 1999, Soft Surroundings has experienced substantial growth since opening their first physical store in 2005; the Short Pump location marks their thirteenth store opening.
The grand opening was an event eagerly attended by many Richmond women, with customers lining up well before the store opened it’s doors. The first 100 customers received a complimentary gift bag valued at over 300$, the supply of which was quickly exhausted. Founder Robin Sheldon was also in attendance. Much of her inspiration for the brand, Sheldon said, was that women have become so adept at multi-tasking, they often forget to pamper themselves, focused instead on career, family, and home; with such a broad range of products available, Soft Surroundings hopes to help women consolidate their shopping experiences, while still providing clothing that is stylish and trendy, yet hugely comfortable to wear. In store, Soft Surroundings clearly has a focus on exactly this type of clothing—everything present was delectably soft to the touch, while still encompassing a wide range of styles for women of all ages and fashion sensibilities.
But the company doesn’t just excel at clothing. The home décor available is of a unique design, and often recreations of French antiques, with the original model sometimes available for purchase through their catalog. The beauty products too, some of which WSB was able to sample, suite a range of needs and left us feeling refreshed and pampered. And they are available at highly reasonable prices to boot.
With multiples focuses on clothing, beauty products, and home décor, Soft Surroundings aim is to appeal to a wide range of women in many facets of their lives. “’Richmond has always been on our radar,’ said Danny Boddy, Soft Surroundings vice president of retail. ‘We felt like Short Pump was the perfect fit for our demographic, and we know where our customers shop. We feel strongly that Soft Surroundings is a brand that all women can relate to and we are excited to give them an opportunity to experience what we are all about. Our passion for customer service and the integrity of our brand gives us the ability to share our story and hopefully make our customers’ lives a little more fulfilled and enjoyable.’”
With multiples focuses on clothing, beauty products, and home décor, Soft Surroundings aim is to appeal to a wide range of women in many facets of their lives. “’Richmond has always been on our radar,’ said Danny Boddy, Soft Surroundings vice president of retail. ‘We felt like Short Pump was the perfect fit for our demographic, and we know where our customers shop. We feel strongly that Soft Surroundings is a brand that all women can relate to and we are excited to give them an opportunity to experience what we are all about. Our passion for customer service and the integrity of our brand gives us the ability to share our story and hopefully make our customers’ lives a little more fulfilled and enjoyable.’”
