Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Gloria Austin
NEW OWNER — Country North Gifts is now under new ownership and has a remodeled store to welcome shoppers downtown. Owner Robin Crone, right, will be assisted by Sandra Saunders, who has worked at Country North Gifts for the past 16 years.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
HOULTON — Country North Gifts is reopened and under new management.
Robin Crone took over ownership of the 17 Market Square store in Houlton on Feb. 1, from Gail Scovill and Lois Bates and has steadily been working to give the business her own personal touch. Crone is hoping that Country North Gifts remains a fixture within the Shiretown for many years to come.
“Gail and Lois are cousins to my husband, Richard,” explained Crone. “And, they had asked me a couple of years ago if I was interested. At that time, I was not. But, they wanted to keep the store open and hopefully keep it in the family.”
Just as Scovill and Bates were about to sell their inventory, Crone decided to take them up on their previous offer.
Crone had helped her husband run “What’s Your Game” in Market Square nearly 25 years ago.
“I decided when we started having children that I would be a stay-at-home mom,” explained Crone. “When the kids went to school, I got a job working for MSAD 29 where I could be at home with my children the same time school was out.”
With her children grown and in college, Crone decided she would like a change and went to work for Adopt-A-Block of Aroostook, an affiliate of the Military Street Baptist Church. The position involved a lot of grant writing, which ultimately wasn’t a fit for her so she decided to assist her husband and father-in-law with their apartment rental business, Crone Apartments.
Crone had studied retail/merchandising in college prior to finishing with a business degree, so when the opportunity came to take over Country North Gifts it seemed like a natural fit.
Nervous, but ready for the challenge, Crone will be assisted by Sandra Saunders, who has worked at Country North Gifts for 16 years.
“If all goes well, I might add on help,” said Crone.
Country North Gifts was closed for 5 weeks for remodeling and just reopened March 23.
“We put in new flooring, added a wall, and repainted the store” she said. “The older glass display cases are all gone, and we had new wooden ones built. We also added additional wall displays.”
One of the biggest challenges in preparing to reopen was not in the renovations, but instead in implementing a new computer system for the store.
“We put in a new point of sale system,” Crone explained. “It was a huge task to enter everything into the system so that when someone purchases something, you can just scan it. Since every item needs to have a store code or UPC code, it was extremely time consuming to get all the old inventory and the new inventory into the system.”
“We are still working out the kinks,” she laughed.
The gift and collectible lines that Country North Gifts is known for such as Willow Tree, Yankee Candle, and Park Designs remain, and they are joined by several new product lines.
“I went a little more primitive,” Crone noted. “I did that because it sells well and is popular, but I am also going to carry some more contemporary home décor as well as some accent furniture. I am expanding our Maine-made products and have several new lines of bags, purses, and jewelry. I have also enlarged the Stonewall Kitchen line and am carrying more gifts for men.”
The technological age also allows Country North Gifts to have its own Facebook page and website where eventually orders may possibly be placed. But until that time, the website allows for the announcement of sales and to showcase new products and the store’s information.
Country North Gifts has been open for just over two weeks on April 6 and one of the more popular items purchased is home décor. They will also take special orders.
As Crone continues to order and arrange the store, she is listening for feedback from customers.
“I order what I think will sell by gut instinct and by what people tell us they want,” she said. “We also do gift wrapping, and I have revamped the paper and bags.”
Country North Gifts is open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the summer hours will be Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“This is all kind of new,” Crone said. “I am not going to be stagnant. I will constantly be moving new inventory in and out and bringing in new product lines.”
For those who have never visited Country North Gifts, Crone and Saunders are both very friendly and receptive to customers. If you cannot get to the store check them out online at countrynorthgifts.com or on Facebook.
