Spotlight: The Smells Good Store!
Vickie Willis, a former Brit, had never owned or worked in a retail store before she launched The Smells Good Store in downtown Castle Rock.
“It was really born out of the frustration of not being able to purchase American-made products,” she says. More and more labels on body care products revealed they were being made in China.
“I just finally got really fed up with it and decided to open a store,” she says. “I thought about things that I like and things that smell good was on the list so I decided, ‘If I find that thesmellsgoodstore.com is available, I’m going to take that as a sign!’”
The Smells Good Store first opened in Elizabeth in 2010 because that’s where Vickie lived but she realized in her first successful year that the store deserved more.
“I looked around and liked the feel of Castle Rock. The really excellent restaurants that we have downtown were a draw and the nice, diverse population here really appeals to me,” she says. “And being right off I-25 makes it easy for girlfriends from Colorado Springs or even Longmont to visit.”
Vickie admits when she first started out she didn’t know the first thing about selling. One of her first customers asked if she had shopping baskets. “And I thought, that’s a really good idea!” she says.
“It’s been fun. My customers have a great sense of humor and they’re very forgiving.”
The Smells Good Store in Castle Rock opened in 2011. Vickie has maintained the American-made focus of her initial mission, particularly in the body care and home care fragrances as well as high-quality, premium ingredients.
“I’m very particular about ingredients because I work with a lot of folks who have skin conditions and haven’t been able to find out what’s causing them,” she says.
“I’m not a doctor but sometimes the combination of me just asking a few questions and them keeping a diary – we’re able to get to the bottom of it,” Vickie says.
“You won’t find any nasty chemicals in here. I won’t let them through the door!” she says. “Even my candles, which are not paraffin only soy and beeswax with essential oils.”
That goes for her laundry soap, too. “It’s fabulous. It really is. You don’t need any softener or dryer sheets,” she says. “It’s 100 percent natural, smells lovely and leaves your clothes clean and soft.”
And while you’d think women might make up most of her customer base, Vickie says she has a large inventory of men’s body care and shaving products that men seem to love. “They like to pretend they don’t care, but they don’t mind smelling good, too!”
Half of The Smells Good Store body care section is dedicated to guys. From beard oils and soaps, to straight razors and a variety of blades, stands and brushes.
“I keep a fairly sizeable collection of soap bricks on hand because guys like to come in here and hack off a big piece of soap for themselves,” Vickie says.
Vickie has made the niche store successful because she cares about her products and her clients.
“What we’re known for is high quality, natural products at a reasonable price.”
Oh, and they smell good, too!
The Smells Good Store
313 Third St.
303-646-6600
Open Mon.-Fri. 10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sun. 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Crystal Valley in Castle Rock
The master-planned community of Crystal Valley is so near downtown Castle Rock, residents can make the trip downtown in minutes. If you don’t live here yet, you could! Stop by the sales office of Richmond American Homes and view their amazing new collections. You’ll find new homes in Crystal Valley come in both ranch or two-story models and are priced from the $300s.
