An area woman who has launched a successful retail clothing shop in Westport is opening a second location in a large commercial space in downtown New Canaan.
‘Groove’ will open at 115 Elm St. in New Canaan following a major interior renovation. The commercial space has been vacant since mid-August, when Ralph Lauren Kids left. Credit: Michael Dinan
Corri Neckritz, owner of Groove, is planning to open a store of the same name at 115 Elm St.—formerly home to Ralph Lauren Kids—by March 1 following an extensive interior renovation.
The Westport store recently moved from a 1,200-square-foot space into a 3,400-square-foot space and features a wide-ranging selection of clothing for boys, girls and women, as well as accessories and gifts.
Neckritz told NewCanaanite.com that the focus in New Canaan will be on the teenage girl.
Asked what makes New Canaan a good fit, she said: “My first store opened in Westport, which to me is a very family-focused place, there are plenty of children in the community, and New Canaan is the same thing. It’s a family town. I love the town—it’s adorable. I just think it’s a great community and a great fit.”
Neckritz said she was in New Canaan for brunch on Sunday and witnessed her first-ever Halloween Parade.
“I saw thousands of children and families and it’s just awesome to see everyone supporting their town,” she said.
That event is organized and sponsored by the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, an organization that Neckritz said she intends to join.
Chamber Executive Director Tucker Murphy said she’s “very excited” about Groove’s arrival.
The shop “looks like a lot of fun and we look forward to working with them,” she said.
Neckritz, a native of Oceanside, N.Y. who has lived in Westport for 14 years, said she had been looking in New Canaan for the right space for a couple of years, and found the right one on Elm Street—central as well as brightly and naturally lit with two large sets of windows on either side of the door.
Neckritz launched Groove out of her own house in 2007 after experiencing frustration in the limited selections of clothing available for her own kids. In New Canaan, Groove will fill a niche, she said, adding that because there already are ample clothing options available for babies that she will limit her own offerings for that age group.
“We are going to be on-trend,” she said. “We are very appropriate, and very gifty.”