For the past two years, Grass Valley boutique Bijou Bijou has called West Main Street home. From there, owner Jena Berenberg has doled out everything from books to candles, casual clothing to art. She said she’s had a great time running the store, but recently made the decision to close her shop.
Berenberg described her store as, “a lifestyle store that focuses on slow fashion and handmade goods and sustainably made goods.” She’s had a good run, she said, but knew when it was time to call it quits, citing several factors that many retailers are struggling with. “I think there’s like a few factors, but retail is brutal I think for a number of reasons,” said Berenberg.
“We are in a small town here which can be challenging to have the level of business that we would hope for. I think our economy is shifting and changing, not always for the better. I think all of us are just trying to survive and pay our bills and don’t often have extra money in our budget to afford lots of extra things.
So if I am being honest, it’s not as lucrative a business as I’d hoped. I feel really grateful and honored to have brought these beautiful things and support a lot of vendors who are doing their work and into the community.” Bijou Bijou has given Berenberg the chance to curate a spot for specialty crafters, many of them local, or at least from California.
Her dedication to keeping a rotation of carefully crafted goods is what has kept the store going, she said. “I do hav.