A longtime Columbia accessories and floral shop has moved to a new location
A longtime Columbia area shop that specializes in home accessories, furnishings, floral arrangements and more has moved to a new location.
Cricket Newman Designs, which was long located at 2710 Gervais St., has moved to 2005 N. Beltline Blvd. in Forest Acres, just south of the Richland Mall. It is in a small shopping center that also includes J.R. Cash’s Grill and Bar. The new location of Cricket Newman Designs once was the space of Wit’s End, a dance club where many used to do the shag.
Store manager Ellen Benton, who has been in retail for more than 40 years and has been with Cricket Newman Designs for about four years, said the driving ethos at Cricket Newman Designs is to make people happy.
“We like to consider ourselves a place where you can come that is for everybody,” Benton said. “We have everything from small plants in $12 containers to beautiful orchids that come from Hawaii. We develop curated collections. When we go to market we never know exactly what we’re going to come back with, but it is going to be something that is going to make you happy and enhance your beautiful home.”
Cricket Newman Designs was founded two decades ago by Columbia’s Jessica “Cricket” Newman, who started the business in her kitchen and grew it out into a full retail operation. Newman, 63, died in July after a long battle with cancer.
A local investor made arrangements before Newman’s passing to purchase the business. Benton said Newman was on board with the idea of moving the shop to North Beltline.
“She sits on my shoulder every day,” Benton said of Newman. “Every decision that is made here is a decision I give a lot of prayer and thought to.”
Newman also was known for planning weddings and special events. However, the relocated Cricket Newman Designs store does not offer those services.
The new Cricket Newman Designs storefront, which has been open for roughly a week, has a host of items available. Just a few of those seen by a reporter from The State during a recent visit included flower arrangements, plates and serving dishes, hand-painted Christmas ornaments, decorative pillows, wreaths, decorative accessories for the home such as picture frames and , candleholders, vases, and even clothing items such as The Cat’s Pajamas brand pajamas.
Benton said longtime customers who have visited the new space seem to have liked what they’ve seen so far.
“People have been so complimentary,” Benton said. “They love the brightness of the store. They love the location. And they feel like maybe this space shows the merchandise better than our old store did. The old store had beige walls and fixtures. Now everything kind of pops out.”
