For this installment of our local holiday shopping series, we catch up with Judi Anders, manager of Groove’s New Canaan store on Elm Street.
Here’s a transcript of our conversation.
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Fuzzy PJ pants, made by three different companies, $40 to $50 at Groove, 115 Elm St. in New Canaan. Credit: Michael Dinan
New Canaanite: Could you please give us some background on the store, and also an overview of what you have on offer here.
Judi Anders: The owner is Corri Neckritz and she started the business Groove because she saw there was a need for cute, trendy clothes and gifts and she just couldn’t find them out there. And so she started selling out of her basement. And she then opened her first store in Westport in 2012. And then New Canaan was opened in 2017. I’m the manager and I have been running it since the beginning. We provide fashionable clothes and unique gifts, and we have something for everyone. And we always think of Groove as a concept. So the kids In town, especially the middle school age, they can come in here every day after school. They walk to town from school and they hang out in here. We have the couch in the back. We have the candy wall. We have a lot of all the trendy and popular gifts and fun little things for them to buy, they usually come in with their own money or their credit cards.
Aviator Nation and Free City brand sweatpants and sweatshirts, ranging from $148 to $250 at Groove, 115 Elm St. in New Canaan. Credit: Michael Dinan
What are some of the items that people are looking for this holiday season? What are the hot items?
One of the hottest items every year are our cozy fuzzy PJ pants. So we have a whole section in the back of pajamas, loungewear, and basically the fuzzy PJ pants, hoodies, onesies, shorts. They’re one of our most popular gifts. And then, of course, Slime has been big since the pandemic, and we sell some of the hot brands of Slime. And the kids come in for that, and the parents come in for that, too, if they’re a Slime house.
Sleepover bags, ranging from $45 to $70 at Groove, 115 Elm St. in New Canaan. Credit: Michael Dinan
You guys are right here on Elm Street, and I know you are, participating in things like the Holiday Stroll. What’s it like being a retailer in New Canaan during the holidays?
I love it. There’s so many loyal customers in New Canaan and we feel like we’re a family. I know all of the customers’ names and their kids’ names and ages and sizes. I feel like we are a popular spot and we have seven to eight gingerbread houses in the windows every season. I love to see all the little faces like peeking in the windows looking. It’s just fun to be able to be here during this time. Y
Scattered Slime, among other types available, $16 at Groove, 115 Elm St. in New Canaan. Credit: Michael Dinan
You mentioned the middle school kids like to come here. Now we’re looking at maybe parents who want to come in and shop for their kids—or parents who haven’t had a chance to come in yet but who know that they’re, maybe they’re newer to town, we have a lot of new families—what would you say to those people who want to shop locally, but they haven’t stopped into Groove yet?
Oh come on into Groove. As you can see, we are fully stocked, and we get new shipments in every single day. So we stay on top of making sure that we have sizes and colors and all the hottest items for everyone. We have every age. We have something for everyone, basically, from infants all the way up to adult women. And we have some fun gifts that could be good for men, too.
Groove at 115 Elm St. (here on Instagram and Facebook) is open 10-6 Mon-Sat, 11-5 Sun.