Recognizing the worth of a handy procuring expertise, Rik Samoylenko seems ahead to the official opening of his retailer, Sandstone Items + Buying and selling, on Thursday.
Samoylenko is a superb instance of an entrepreneur returning to his previous stomping floor to deliver one thing particular to the neighborhood.
Earlier than Sandstone was developed as a storefront, it was a web based retailer developed throughout the pandemic. Samoylenko had returned to Bakersfield in 2017 after quitting his job at Anthropologie, the place he served as visible director and helped launch retailer openings in the USA.
He wrote in an e mail: “On the finish of 2017 I made a decision it was time for a change – I stop my job, moved to Bakersfield and began the primary levels of my life. new journey.”
Finishing his diploma in graphic design from San Diego State, Samoylenko enrolled in structure and cooking courses at Bakersfield Faculty. He additionally started to forge hyperlinks with small native companies, artists and distributors locally.
He describes Sandstone as a house decor and life-style model “providing top quality tableware, glassware, kitchen equipment, candles, dwelling textiles, indoor vegetation and planters. , plus a great deal of males’s and ladies’s attire, skincare, and extra.”
Alongside the web site, which he launched in 2020, the enterprise proprietor started taking part in pop-up occasions in 2021, together with the Vacation Craft & Vendor Present on the West Facet Recreation & Park District in Taft; vendor marketplaces hosted by BakoBox creator Kami Paulsen; the Bakersfield Museum of Artwork’s Artwork After Darkish Delight occasion; Vacation Market at Seven Oaks Enterprise Park; and the second Saturday Vacation Market hosted by Tlo Wines.
He wrote of the expertise: “The response from this neighborhood throughout vendor pop-ups has been superb and I might see a spot within the native marketplace for merchandise that I used to be not solely on the lookout for, however I used to be on the lookout for. ‘others have been additionally eager about shopping for – stunning, high-quality merchandise which might be made within the USA, showcase small companies right here in Kern County, are produced utilizing sustainable strategies, or are international truthful commerce merchandise that assist construct the social and financial constructions of the folks and cultures that make them.
Samoylenko knew he needed to take the subsequent step to open a bodily retailer to permit clients an immersive exercise.
“Procuring must be a sensory expertise: it’s stunning to have the ability to scent each textile, to strive on well-made denims, to scent the highest notes and nuances of candles or perfumes, to totally expertise the atmosphere and the imaginative and prescient of a model in particular person,” he wrote.
He researched places and labored with the Cal State Bakersfield Small Enterprise Improvement Heart, which he described as “a implausible, utterly free useful resource I’ve used for market info and basic enterprise planning. »
The corporate can also be licensed by the Nationwide LGBT Chamber of Commerce as an LGBTQ+ owned and operated enterprise, and Samoylenko mentioned he goals to create a protected and respectful neighborhood for everybody to get pleasure from.
He wrote: “I consider that illustration is a vital consider enterprise and could be an inspiration to others.”
Samoylenko is delighted with the inauguration and inauguration on Thursday, after which the shop might be open to the general public. KUZZ might be streaming onsite from 3-5 p.m., that includes a prize wheel and giveaways.
A raffle might be held all through opening weekend, with clients receiving one raffle ticket for each $10 spent. A portion of the proceeds from the weekend will profit an area charity.
“Bakersfield is an incredible city and holds a particular place in my coronary heart,” he wrote. “I consider that every of us has a vital position to play and a social accountability in enhancing the neighborhood. Along with volunteer time and assets, we’re dedicated to donating a portion of our earnings to charities. native organizations and charities that instantly affect and enhance the lives of the folks of Bakersfield and Kern County.”
Stefani Dias could be reached at 661-395-7488. Observe her on Twitter: @realstefanidias.
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