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Lisa Weidman and her son, Austin, 2, visiting from California, browse Friday, July 1, 2022, at Procure at City Foundry, a permanent shared-retail location that opened in February. 

Procure at City Foundry, Friday, July 1, 2022. The store is a permanent shared-retail location which opened in February. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com

Jenevieve Heine, 9, holds up a T-shirt she likes Friday, July 1, 2022, at Procure at City Foundry.

The Food Hall, seen through the front window, is directly across from Procure at City Foundry, Friday, July 1, 2022.

Brian and Tanisha Roy, of St. Louis, keep their son, Kairo, 2, entertained while they browse Friday, July 1, 2022, at Procure at City Foundry.

ST. LOUIS — A rotating rack of eyeglasses keeps watch over the checkout counter at Procure, next to a display of beaded bracelets and a box of eco-friendly lip balm.

The shop across the Food Hall at City Foundry in midtown also carries beer koozies and bucket hats; a bevy of CBD products; yoga accessories, baby accessories and dog accessories. There are jars of jam, honey harvested from Show-Me State bees and handmade, high-end soaps.

The array of merchandise from more than two dozen companies has one unifying thread.

“We essentially created a department store of local, women-owned business,” said Christina Weaver, co-founder of the Women’s Collective, which operates Procure.

The store moved into its home at the mixed-use development in February after operating pop-ups for four years. Like a brick-and-mortar Etsy, it’s part of a reimagining of retail that caters to customers who want a one-stop opportunity for variety, novelty and convenience — but not in a cavernous, nondescript mall.

The shared-space model isn’t new: Antiques stores, consignment shops and farmers markets have been around for decades. But a curated, small-footprint marketplace that elevates the stories of its vendors has just started to find its footing.

“The premise is really solid,” said Jason Long, a St. Louis consultant with Eye on Retail. “People want to shop local but aren’t going to dig and search.”

Entrepreneurs benefit from the economy-of-scale advertising and shared labor. They can extend their geographic reach and gather feedback on new products without investing in extra staff hours.

La’Crassia Wilderness credits Union Studio with helping transition her Butter Love Skin line from “fun but exhausting” flash sales to retail shelves. She first sold her whipped body butter, in scents like rosemary mint and lavender lush, to the Botanical Heights store in 2018. Now her all-natural lotions are in more than 130 shops across the country.

“Union Studio has been a really big part of my growth,” Wilderness said.

Mary Beth Bussen conceived the boutique almost a decade ago as a multiuse workspace. When Sarah Kelley joined her, they brought on about a dozen artists.

“In the early days, no one found us,” said Bussen.

It was a slow build, but in 2020, they added a Webster Groves location, and their contributors — from painters and potters to calligraphers and candle-makers — swelled to 150. Everything is handmade, and everyone hails from the region.

Union Studio pays some artists on consignment and buys some merchandise wholesale. The price point is higher than with mass-produced goods, and their profit margin is slim. It’s not the easiest business model.

“If you want creative folks living in your community and making their work, they have to benefit financially,” said Kelley. “You have to be more intentional with your purchases.”

John Chen introduced a shared-kitchen concept two years ago called Urban Eats. The real estate investor divided up the cafe he already owned on the first floor of the Dutchtown building he also lives in. Four restaurants provide counter service and dozens of chefs rent the commercial kitchen. The pandemic reboot was a success.

“I’m an accidental microdeveloper,” Chen said.

When a tiny storefront became available across the street, next to the fourth-generation Winkelmann pharmacy, Chen snapped it up and named it the Wink.

It’s open just three days a week and serves as a kind of showroom for his four tenants. They pay a monthly fee, which includes storage, use of the space to hold events, and equipment to update their websites and social media feeds.

So far, foot traffic has been light. Chen is working on converting Urban Eaters to the Wink. The effort is about more than sales, he said. It supports neighborhood revitalization.

“Especially in a low-income community, you need something that people can start inexpensively,” said Chen.

For years, Paula Williams of south St. Louis has supplemented her day job by selling statement shoes: gladiator sandals, thigh-high boots and candy-colored pumps. She had considered finding a space for her Shoetopia, but it felt like too big a leap.

The Wink provided a bridge. Williams finally has room to display her footwear. Most Saturdays, she pulls a table outside, ties on some balloons and tries to entice Urban Eats’ lunchtime crowd to cross Meramec Street to take a look.

“My dream is still to have my own storefront, but I do love the idea of an incubator,” Williams said. “You’re not by yourself out there alone.”

When the Women’s Creative moved Procure’s monthly pop-ups to the sidewalks of City Foundry last summer, shoppers swarmed. Procure needed to be permanent, the collective decided.

Finding the right mix of products was an early challenge when the store opened over the winter. Most brands sell on consignment; bigger ones also pay a monthly fee. The store housed almost 30 women-owned businesses in its second quarter, with a goal to hit 50 by the holidays.

“Everyone comes with different expectations and desires,” said Nina Geers, Procure’s inventory manager.

Caitlin Burling of Troy, Illinois, found Procure on Instagram. She stopped by on a recent Thursday, toting her baby, Edith, in a sling. The 2-month-old went home with a couple of new onesies, a bib and an aspirational pair of mauve sunglasses, for when she can hold up her head.

“I think the concept is awesome,” said Burling. “It encourages people to shop local.”

Procure’s vendors fall into two categories, Geers said. “Solopreneurs” are one-woman operations, and “scalers” are looking to grow their companies. A few, like Webster Groves-based Kind Soap, already have a store and use Procure as a testing ground for new products.

Connie Bourgeois launched her beach-inspired apparel, called Gyal Bashy, in May and moved her collection of hats, tank tops and lounge pants into Procure on June 1. Two weeks later, she had to restock.

“As a small brand with limited marketing power, this is invaluable,” said Bourgeois. “They’ve already laid the foundation.”

The foundry’s bustle has also been a boon. Adrienne Williams of west St. Louis County had never heard of Procure before she stopped at the Food Hall for lunch. She perused the lotions and serums while her 17-year-old daughter, normally a mall regular, picked out a pair of pink Lucite earrings.

“There’s something for everyone,” Williams said. “More people should come down here.”

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Colleen Schrappen is a reporter at the Post-Dispatch.

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Lisa Weidman and her son, Austin, 2, visiting from California, browse Friday, July 1, 2022, at Procure at City Foundry, a permanent shared-retail location that opened in February. 

Procure at City Foundry, Friday, July 1, 2022. The store is a permanent shared-retail location which opened in February. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com

Jenevieve Heine, 9, holds up a T-shirt she likes Friday, July 1, 2022, at Procure at City Foundry.

The Food Hall, seen through the front window, is directly across from Procure at City Foundry, Friday, July 1, 2022.

Brian and Tanisha Roy, of St. Louis, keep their son, Kairo, 2, entertained while they browse Friday, July 1, 2022, at Procure at City Foundry.

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