The Taea Made Blog: January 2015

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Kittsona Lifestyle in Grand Forks, ND, and was delighted with what I found. Rustic wood planked walls and elegant chandeliers along with the carefully curated offerings made for a one-of-a-kind shopping experience.

I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to meet the extremely sweet Tessa Hiney, co-owner of Kittsona, during my visit after working with her to create unique pillows for the store. Tessa and her business partner, Nicole Johnson, began their original store in 2011 in Grand Forks. Since then, they’ve rebranded their store to Kittsona, and expanded to 3 other locations!

Step inside Kittsona Lifestyle with me and get to know this wonderful shop better. Enjoy a little Q&A with Tessa as well!

When someone walks into your store, what do you want them to feel?

We want them to feel at home, and comfortable! We love greeting customers with a warm, and genuine smile - our absolute favorite thing is when we get to know customers by name! We are always changing displays around and getting new product. Nicole and I want customers to feel like it's a brand new store every time they come in!

What inspired you to open a retail store?

Nicole and I met by chance (or fate as we like to call it). We found that we both saw a big hole in retail shopping for mid-size cities, and knew we wanted to fill it. We each have a very different set of skills, and realized bringing those together would create a very well rounded business! It has turned out to be the best decision either of us has made!

How did Kittsona Lifestyle get its name?

We have definitely gone through some transitions with our name! Our original location was on the corner of Kittson Avenue, and 3rd Street in Downtown Grand Forks, ND. We opened our doors to the name Kittson & 3rd in Nov of 2011. Shortly after we realized that our customers affectionately started referring to us as Kittson. We loved it, and ran with it! After a couple of years (and 2 locations later) of operating as Kittson we realized we were limited with the name. It is a common name, geographical location, etc. and we needed a name all our own! We found that Kittsona kept our roots into consideration, but felt more feminine, and most importantly the word was all our own! At the time of our name transition we were working on renovations for our new home + gift location (in our original location on Kittson & 3rd.. More on that in #4). Kittsona Lifestyle felt very natural as we want our brand to embody and promote a well-rounded lifestyle!

Why did you decide to open a separate store from other Kittsonas just for home décor?

In the beginning of 2014 we had bought out a bridal store, and moved locations to it in Downtown Grand Forks. It was a much bigger location, and more conducive to our needs! We left our original location on Kittson & 3rd after the Christmas season in 2013, but knew we couldn't give it up! A full "lifestyle" brand has always been a personal dream of mine, so I knew it would be the perfect opportunity in that location! We have an incredibly supportive community, and knew that Grand Forks was the perfect place to do it! The store incorporates many local goods, and ND + MN specific products. It is amazing to see the excitement from customers about our expansion of product lines!

Why did you decide to expand your stores, and what are your visions for the future?

Our lifestyle products will be incorporated into all our locations this year, and we can't wait! Nicole and I don't have enough time in the day to keep up with all of our ideas, but we are always working on getting better! We are focusing on quality, and plan to only improve!

What specialty pieces is your store known for?

I don't think we are specifically known for pieces, but more so for intangibles. We always hear positive feedback about our customer service, interesting (and always changing) product, fair prices, community involvement, and now local products! :)

How did the partnership between Nicole and you begin?

We met at a farmer's market in Downtown Grand Forks in the summer of 2011. I was selling my handmade jewelry, and Nicole came by and talked about how much she loved it! Nicole had passed by on her lunch break from her job at a downtown business. Later that day, my mom stopped into that business and started chatting with Nicole. My mom didn't realize Nicole and I had met that day already at the market, and thought that Nicole and I would hit it off. She helped set Nicole and I up for a coffee date, we started talking business, and the rest is history! We are now best friends, and I couldn't imagine doing it without each other! We have very different skills, but the same vision for the business so we like to call it the "perfect partnership"!

What do you most love about owning your own stores?

We both have a passion for working for a greater purpose. It feels like we can really make an impact with what we are doing, and that is the most rewarding thing of all!