Town of Acton Shares Success of Retail Pop-Up Shop

ACTON – Town Manager John S. Mangiaratti is pleased to share the success of the Town of Acton’s retail pop-up shop at 577 Massachusetts Ave., organized by the Economic Development Office.

The pop-up shop, named “3 Moms + a Pop UP!”, soft-opened on Friday, June 23 with three participating brands: Girly Girl Soap, iJewel, and Fluffy Dog Farms.

Girly Girl Soap sells vegan, handmade, and all-natural soaps that are cruelty-free and free of harmful chemicals, making them an eco-conscious choice for customers. Girly Girl Soap was founded by Michele Montalvo, a mother, who combined her passion of soap-making with her business experience.

Namrata Shah, a mother of two, founded iJewel to use her special eye for beautiful jewelry. She handpicks every American diamond piece and designer jewelry, all of which have quality, style, and originality. The result is a stunning assortment of jewelry that embodies elegance and charm. 

Fluffy Dog Farms offers fresh flowers that are grown with no pesticides and fungicides. The business was founded by Emily Frey, an Acton resident. Her love for botany flourished during the pandemic, blossoming into a business. 

Since its soft opening, there have been several events at the pop-up location throughout the summer. A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted by the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce and attended by community leaders and elected officials, was held on Friday, July 7.

On Friday, July 28, Climate Café held an event where the three pop-up brands, along with 10 other businesses and local community members, networked and shared about sustainable business practices including supplies, packaging, distribution, and more.

The pop-up also held ongoing marketing collaborations with the Silver Unicorn Bookstore, Revolution Community Yoga, and HOME by Stamm & Black.

The pop-up closed for the season on Sunday, Aug. 20. 

“This program provided an important opportunity for new entrepreneurs to experience brick & mortar entrepreneurship,” said Economic & Community Development Director Julie Pierce. “This project allowed the Economic Development Office of Acton and the consultants of UpNext to provide a drastically lower barrier for these small businesses to enter the playing field and at significantly lower risk while being supported by their community.” 

The pop-up project was funded by the Massachusetts Office of Business Development REDO grant program, as part of the state’s efforts to accelerate economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. UpNext, which specializes in establishing pop-ups throughout the Commonwealth, was the Town’s consultant on the project. The 495/MetroWest Partnership also played a critical role in securing grant funding for this project. 

More information can be found at actonma.gov/business and https://project-pop-up.com/popups/577massaveacton.