Vineland welcomes new marketplace on Landis Ave.
VINELAND - There’s a new marketplace across from the old marketplace on Landis Avenue, and with 28 vendors, there’s likely something for everyone.
City officials, small-business owners and others officially cut the ribbon Wednesday afternoon for "The Spot," the downtown’s latest multi-tenant retail experiment.
Located at 618 East Landis Ave. and open five days a week, officials hope the growing marketplace attracts visitors and business owners to the downtown.
“This is an opportunity for us to showcase a lot of our businesses in one building,” Mayor Ruben Bermudez said. “It’s something that you won’t see somewhere else and I’m really happy that it draws people to our town.”
In the roughly three months since its soft open, The Spot has grown from four to 28 vendors, according to Vineland Downtown Improvement District Executive Director Russ Swanson.
A handful of those tenants relocated from the now mostly vacant Landis MarketPlace across the street and helped to fill up an 8,000-square-foot first floor at The Spot from front to back.
"We're thrilled about this," Swanson said. "This just goes right into everything we're looking to do."
Councilman says Amish leaving Landis MarketPlace
Swanson hopes to eventually see an empty second floor warehouse and a 10,000-square-foot lower level filled up with additional merchants specializing in vintage antiques and clothing.
That's looking down the road, but for now The Spot sports a handful of merchants ranging from a bookseller to handcrafts, women’s handbags and more.
“It has such a vast variety of vendors here,” Greater Vineland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dawn Hunter said. “I think it will attract a lot of people downtown. Buying local and being loyal is so important to our economy.”
The event was co-sponsored by the chamber and Main Street Vineland.
The property, which used to be the former home of the I.C. Schwarzman department store, is owned by Swanson’s commercial real estate company Summit Investment Properties LLC.
John Casalinuovo is its operations manager and Robin Hope is The Spot’s store manager.
Everyone was on hand for a big celebration Wednesday that marked the start of a five-day spree of activities at the location.
“There’s a lot of everything here,” said City Councilwoman Angela Calakos. “It’s what I want for the Avenue. I’m hoping people will come to Vineland and see fun places and say good things about it when they leave.”
Calakos and her husband run a small business located in the back of the facility called ABC Unique Collections, which Calakos said sells things the couple pick up at estate sales, like vases.
Another vendor, Mary F. Sutak, said she was thrilled to have her knitting business "Knitting By Mary" back up and running. She was one of the merchants who relocated from the MarketPlace.
“I enjoy doing this,” Sutak said while scanning her inventory of knitted hats, gloves, baby items and more. “It’s starting to pick up a little more. It was slow after the Amish left — it was very frustrating … but I feel a little more hopeful now.”
Hunter and other officials praised what they called a more streamlined checkout process, where items can be purchased at a central machine in the facility.
“It’s streamlined everything,” Hunter said of the process. “It’s also important to vendors here that they don’t have to be here in person to make a sale.”
Hope agreed.
“Our unique central checkout allows small startup businesses to open shop and not worry about staffing issues and the high overhead cost of running a business,” she said.
Robert Scarpa, business developer for the VDID, said he hopes The Spot serves as a nurturing system for small businesses ultimately looking to expand operations in Vineland.
“What we hope it does is become a business incubator,” Scarpa said. “A small business can start here and relocate on the avenue and become a bigger business.”
Daniel J. Kov; (856) 563-5262; dkov@gannettnj.com