By Chris Bavender
Two Carmel City Center businesses are expanding. Addendum and Hey Little Diddle plan to add second locations this spring.
The new Addendum shop at 751 Hanover Place, Suite 159 will feature the Indiana debut of the Stoney Clover Lane line. A mid-June opening is planned.
“This will be an additional space for us. We were the first retailer to open at Carmel City Center in 2011,” said Shane Hartke, Addendum owner. “We then doubled in size four years ago when we opened our new space in the Baldwin & Chambers building, and we are essentially doubling in size again with our MacKenzie-Childs standalone shop.”
After two years of COVID-19 restrictions and customers ordering online, Hartke said being able to offer in-store personalized experiences is important so customers can touch and feel merchandise to better understand its history.
“There is no substitute for being able to feel the cuts in a Moser glass that were made by artists outside of Prague, witness the evidence of brushstrokes on a Mackenzie-Childs hand-painted in an Aurora, N.Y., ceramic piece, or to admire the delicate beauty of a Herend porcelain figuring that is made in Budapest,” he said. “Our business has been better than ever over these past few years because people have been forced to stay closer to home and they want their homes to be even more special and cozy.”
Hey Little Diddle will expand to the inner plaza at 736 Hanover Place, Suite 100F with a focus on baby items ranging from outfits to eco-friendly rattles and teethers to nursery décor and custom embroidery. It plans to have a grand opening in late May or early June.
“The current shop ‘Child’ will offer clothing and gifts for children up to 10 years old,” said Celeste Nance, Hey Little Diddle owner. “The new shop will be ‘Baby,’ where you can find a variety of baby gifts that you will feel good about giving as well as a mini children’s bookstore.”
Nance said customers will find ethical and sustainable brands from around the world in a neutral color palette.