One year after opening Primrose Park in Northeast Minneapolis, owner Jennifer Carnahan closed the shop. A month later, she’s opened two new stores: a pop-up shop in partnership with fellow retailer Juniper at the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park, and a permanent location at Woodbury’s Tamarack Hills, which eschews chains in favor of an all-local lineup of businesses that includes women’s clothing boutique Sisu and home goods store Merriment.
For the Woodbury location, Carnahan didn’t reinvent the wheel—she’s still carrying many of the same European clothing lines and fixtures from the Northeast store, including its plush, velvet accent chairs, gold-trimmed walls, and a glittering chandelier. Primrose Park’s merchandise “always has some sort of unique element to them,” she has said—“I try to steer away from carrying anything too basic.” For instance, a striped top by Parisian line FRNCH, a new brand to the store, features subtle ruffle detailing at the waist to give it some interest.
In addition to FRNCH, Carnahan has also added Traffic People of London and State of Being from Australia, mid-priced lines that don’t skimp on quality. (In fact, I ended up walking out with a dove-grey wool-blend driver’s coat by State of Being—which, at $180, felt like a steal.) She store has also added more gift items, such as chunky-knit mittens, candles, stationery, and Hand in Hand’s Clean Water Collection, which donates one bar of soap and one month of clean water to a child in the developing world with every purchase.
The West End pop-up location, located next door to Lululemon, seamlessly merges Primrose Park’s feminine, sophisticated aesthetic with Juniper’s sweet-with-an-edge vibe. One corner features a mini-shop highlighting Sota Clothing’s new line of women’s t-shirts and tanks with a Minnesota vibe.
On Thursday from 5–8 p.m., Primrose Park in Woodbury hosts a grand opening event with 15 percent off storewide plus refreshments.
Now open: Primrose Park at Tamarack Hills, 779 Bielenberg Dr, Unit 107, Woodbury, 651-387-4842 & Primrose Park + Juniper Pop-up, The Shops at West End, 1621 West End Blvd, Unit 15, St Louis Park, juniperstores.com, primroseparkmpls.com
Inside Primrose Park in Woodbury:
all images by Jahna peloquin/Courtesy Primrose Park
Inside Primrose Park + Juniper at the Shops at West End, including the Sota Clothing shop:
