Business

Holiday Shopping 2023: Pet Pantry Warehouse

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For today’s installment of our local holiday shopping series, we caught up with Michele Sileo, assistant manager of  Pet Pantry Warehouse on Grove Street. 

Here’s our conversation. ***

New Canaanite: Please give us some background on Pet Pantry and an overview of what you offer here. Michele Sileo: Pet Pantry has been family owned for over 75 years now. We have seven stores—four in Connecticut, three in New York. We have a lot of products for dogs.

Business

Holiday Shopping 2023: That Personal Touch

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For this installment of our local holiday shopping series, we visited Lynn van der Els, owner of That Personal Touch on Main Street. Here’s a transcript of our conversation. 

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New Canaanite: Please give us some background on That Personal Touch and tell us what you offer here. Lynn van der Els: My mom and I started the business 40 years ago, we just celebrated our 40th anniversary on November 4th. She passed away 11 years later, and then I met my husband Mitch, and he came into the business with me, and he became the engraver. I used to be the engraver, and my mom would do all the book work, so we reversed roles.

Alanna Fleisch

Holiday Shopping 2023: Athletic Shoe Factory

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For today’s installment of our local holiday shopping series, we met up with Athletic Shoe Factory owner Alanna Fleisch at the Forest Street store. 

Here’s our exchange. ***

New Canaanite: Please give us some background on the Athletic Shoe Factory and an overview of what you carry here. 

Alanna Fleisch: We’re a family-owned and -operated business since the late-‘70s. We’re a sporting goods store, so we specialize in just about anything and everything we can fit in these walls. Obviously running shoes are our bread and butter. But we have a large array of socks, apparel and equipment for all the sports—soccer, lacrosse, football, baseball.

Business

Holiday Shopping 2023: Stewart’s Wine & Spirits

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For today’s installment of our local holiday shopping series, we met up with Larry Klem, store manager at Stewart’s Wine & Spirits. Here’s our conversation. ***

New Canaanite: Tell me about Stewart’s Wine & Spirits and its customers. Larry Klem: We have a really, I would say, vibrant customer base. Pretty wine savvy customers.