By Heather Lusk
Inga’s Popcorn will close its Main Street storefront July 1 and sell its popcorn online and at nearby retailer Ballerinas and Bruisers.
“Business is not going to control me, I’m controlling the business,” said Inga Smith, the popcorn company’s owner and namesake.
“It’s a bold decision,” she said. “I love my store. I’ve poured my heart into it.”
But the changing retail landscape with more people shopping online has prompted the need to “reinvent the business,” according to Smith.
“Step back to move forward,” she said.
“Commerce is changing,” she said, adding that youth shopping habits are requiring business owners to reimagine how they sell their product.
“You’ve just got to figure out how you can live in that future, and that’s what we are doing,” she said.
Freshly made Inga’s Popcorn will be sold at Ballerinas and Bruisers in 1 or 2 1/2 liter plastic tubs. Other sizes will be available by special order.
“Steve (Schwartz, owner of Ballerinas and Bruisers,) has graciously and generously offered space in his shop to give people a place on Main Street to find the popcorn,” Smith said.
She will still be popping her product at her Bloomington store and will continue to sell popcorn at the Zionsville Farmers’ Market, which opens May 13. The Bloomington store will continue to sell the same products currently available at Inga’s Popcorn in Zionsville.
Smith opened her Main Street storefront in 2013 after selling at the farmers’ market for two years.
