VISIT PHILADELPHIA® today announced the launch of Shop Philly, a first-of-its-kind retail aggregator featuring for-sale items by Philly artists or from Philly-owned shops on visitphilly.com, the official visitor site for Greater Philadelphia. The inaugural collection, curated by Shannon Maldonado, creative powerhouse and owner of home and lifestyle shop YOWIE, features items from small businesses in neighborhoods all over the city — from Old City to South Street and from Rittenhouse Square to East Passyunk — as well as select e-commerce sites. The collection debuts just in time to make shopping for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation season just a little easier for those who want to gift a piece of Philadelphia.
“Shop Philly is a way for us to tell a new story about Philadelphia by showing off the work of our inspired artists and the offerings of our innovative entrepreneurs. Aggregating Philly-made and/or -sold items on visitphilly.com/shopphilly exposes the vital businesses that make Philly Philly to our nearly 500,000 web users each month,” said Neil Frauenglass, chief marketing officer, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “Not only will this project help the businesses hit especially hard by COVID-19, but it’s also an awesome way to show that our region is a fun and interesting place to shop both in person and through our online shop.”
What’s In The Collection:
The inaugural Shop Philly collection, handpicked by Maldonado herself and available through mid-summer, features 29 items — most of which are created or sold by Black, Brown, LGBTQ and female artists and entrepreneurs. On offer: one-of-a-kind art creations, custom-made jewelry, indulgent self-care products and plenty of can’t-get-them-anywhere-else products. Goods range from $12 (goats milk soap in a variety of scents from Trunc in Northern Liberties) to $9,500 (original oil-on-canvas painting by Elizabeth Bergeland from HOT•BED Gallery) with plenty of price points in between (plant stakes from the Sable Collective, $22; a handmade vase from Ceramic Concept, $65; and a smile pendant from Ritual Shoppe, $95).
Who Is The Collection Created For:
The collection is geared toward visitors who might have missed out on the perfect memento while in town for a recent visit, Philadelphians eager to support a local business and/or show off their hometown pride, homesick Philadelphians looking to reconnect with their former hometown, and discerning shoppers in search of unique, beautifully crafted gifts and wares.
About The Curator:
Selected as the first curator for Shop Philly, Maldonado brings years of experience as a fashion designer turned lifestyle-and-design guru. At her popular Queen Village shop YOWIE, she sells the creations of friends, independent artists and designers. This hands-on shopkeeper picks out every item she sells and in doing so pays homage to Philly’s thriving creative scene — just as the Shop Philly collection she curated for VISIT PHILADELPHIA aims to do.
“I am super excited to partner on Shop Philly with VISIT PHILADELPHIA to shine a light on small businesses, especially Black- and Brown-owned shops,” said Maldonado. “This initiative will bring customers, visitors and locals to spaces they might not have shopped at — or even known about — before. That’s an economic benefit for our small businesses, our neighborhoods, our city and our region.”
What’s Next For Shop Philly:
A new curator will debut Shop Philly’s next collection in mid-summer, with new collections to follow approximately every three months.
VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy.
On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website, visitphilly.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the site an effective trip-planning tool. Visitors can also find loads of inspiration on Visit Philly’s social media channels.
Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos and high-definition B-roll of Greater Philadelphia, visit the Photos & Video section of visitphilly.com/mediacenter.