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Hyde Park woman's Sugar 'N Spice
offers help with home decor
The storefront of Sugar 'N Spice heralds
the holiday season. / Photo by Brittny Goodsell
Jones
By Brittny
Goodsell Jones
November 19, 2008 | HYDE PARK -- A lot of Cache Valley
ladies have a house. Janna Barlow hopes to make them
homes.
Barlow, owner of Sugar 'N Spice craft store in Hyde
Park, said a house isn't a home until it's personalized.
"A house is barren it's under construction" Barlow
said. "But it becomes a home when you move into and
it and make it yours by adding your own personal touch."
The phrase 'Make Your House a Home' is emblazoned
on Sugar 'N Spice's front entrance. Inside are aisles
of decorated Christmas trees, home décor and crafts.
More than 25 percent of these products are made by local
vendors.
Having a place for local vendors is an idea that helped
start Sugar 'N Spice six years ago. Barlow used to make
crafts and attend craft fairs for sales. The hard part
was the time spent on setting her booth up just to take
it down two days later. It was hard to be a local vendor,
she said, because Cache Valley didn't have many places
for local vendors to sell their product at. After advertising
about the start-up of Sugar 'N Spice, Barlow said she
easily filled up the store with local vendors.
"It's great because I can't buy anything that looks
like the stuff they do," Barlow said.
Since expanding, she has largely incorporated décor
products from companies outside of Cache Valley to fill
up the shelves.
Merriett Falor, manager, said the business targets
women ages 25 to 55. To help customer retention, Falor
said homemade cookies are baked on Saturdays and given
to all customers as they pass the cash register. Employees
take turns making cookies. Parties, like the Pajama
Party that happens this Saturday, are also thrown throughout
the year. More than 300 people showed up for last year's
pajama party. For Saturday's party, women can come to
Sugar 'N Spice in their pajamas for the chance to win
prizes, one prize being a $100 gift certificate to the
store.
Falor said she and Barlow often get calls to decorate
people's porch displays for the holidays. They take
items from the store for decoration and then the homeowner
pays for the product. Sugar 'N Spice has also shown
their product in Cache Valley's annual Parade of Homes.
Even with the parties and time spent decorating people's
porches, Barlow said she's not a total businesswoman
and isn't obsessed with her business. She spends most
of her time raising five kids instead of working 40
hours a week at Sugar 'N Spice.
"I love going in at night when no one is in the store
and walking around saying, 'We did this,'" Barlow said.
"It's a great accomplishment."
Sugar 'N Spice is at 3655 N. Highway 91 in Hyde Park.
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