The Brown Eyed Suzy will close its doors July 28

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 12, 2018

SALISBURY — Brown Eyed Suzy owner Barbara Fuller said the No. 1 reason she is closing her store is that she is tired.

“I have a full-time job, and I opened this store as a happy place for me to sell things that made me happy,” Fuller said. “In the past two years, I have done everything that’s been suggested, and it’s still not enough.”

Fuller works full time as an information technology analyst at Catawba College.

She said she began selling homemade and curated items under the Brown Eyed Suzy name in 2011, then opened her downtown shop at 113 W. Innes St. about two years ago.

“I thought having a shop of my own would be cool because I did so well with booths,” Fuller said. “It’s not that it didn’t do well. I’m not saying it failed. But it’s not enough to keep it going full time.”

Fuller said she has tried to appease customers with full-time hours, partial week hours and nighttime hours.

“Nothing makes everyone happy,” Fuller said. “I’ve had a lot of traffic but not a lot of buyers.”

Fuller said she is sad to leave her downtown location because so many other downtown shops have closed.

“It’s kind of sad because they come and go, and I don’t know what the answer is,” Fuller said. “It’s just a downer. I’m going to give up mine hoping that something cute takes its place.”

Fuller said she doesn’t have any one answer for how downtown can keep its businesses open.

“I just think the community has to rally together,” Fuller said. “If they want a downtown, they’re going to have to work together.”

Fuller said she might still do a pop-up store during the holiday season if there is a storefront available.

“And I’m still doing shows. I’m not going to stop what I’m doing, but I’m just not doing it downtown,” Fuller said.

Brown Eyed Suzy will have reduced hours until it closes July 28.

It will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

“Shop local, people,” Fuller said. “It really does help.”

Contact reporter Jessica Coates at 704-797-4222.