Meghan Butterfield will never forget her very first customer at the Radish Loft gift shop and boutique in Gulfport.
“They loved how comfortable they felt shopping with us,” she said. “It’s definitely stuck with me and plays a major role in how we do business to this day and how we strive to make every customer’s shopping experience a great one. And now, fast forward to 10 years, I still don’t know everything, but I’m having just as much fun.”
That was 10 years ago, and on Sept. 23 & 24 the Radish Loft will celebrate the milestone with sales, giveaways, and champagne.
The gratitude event is Butterfield’s way of thanking each and every one of her patrons for their support.
“Each purchase big and small has had an impact on our success,” she said. “They’ve supported us through all of the ups and downs. Even during Covid, our business has pulled through because of the community supporting us.”
The Radish Loft name started long before the store opened in September 2012.
“There were many talks of opening a gift shop, and a lot of names were tossed around. I will never forget the look on my parent’s faces when I said I want to call it the Radish Loft,” she said laughing.
The name stems from Butterfield’s roots and growing up in Long Beach an area once known as the radish capital of the world. She added her fondest memories include those early days, her father, and the book customers signed with each visit.
“Dad poured so much into this place and was so proud of me and that I was in the middle of the neighborhood he grew up in,” she said. “I loved when he would pop in just to say hi, but I think he knew I was always needing him to fix something. He loved reading the sign-in book to see who all had visited the store. If he recognized a name, he would always ask me if I told them I was his daughter.”
Butterfield said the store was originally a gift shop, and apparel was added in the first 10 months.
“The business has grown exponentially in its product offerings, as well as technology,” she said. “We started our business being exclusively a gift shop and handwriting tickets. Now, we have tons of fabulous lines from Mississippi-made pottery to apparel and just about everything in between, a complete inventory system and a fabulous, stoppable website.”
Success is not without its challenges though.
“The top three biggest challenges have been our customers’ way of shopping, COVID of course, and having a family now. So based on those challenges the reward would be still being in business for sure.”
And Butterfield has no plans to stop anytime soon.
“I truly pray that I can do this into retirement,” she said. “I really have a passion for helping people. Not just shopping for gifts and clothes, but volunteering too. Being a small business owner really keeps me connected in the community and I love that.”
