Ahead of Valentine’s Day, mayor Victoria Napolitano, deputy mayor Phil Garwood and councilman Manny Delgado visited a combined total of five businesses along Moorestown’s Main Street to highlight the town’s thriving business community and to remind residents to “Shop Local” this Valentine’s Day and throughout the year.
“Small businesses are the backbone of Moorestown’s economy, and our role as elected officials is to remind our community how important it is to support our town’s local businesses,” said Napolitano. “By shopping local, we can help a vibrant business community to flourish all while supporting these small business owners who are our friends and neighbors.”
Napolitano and Garwood kicked off the business tour with a visit to Peter Pan Gift Shop, a Main Street fixture that has been owned by the Manning family for 49 years. Peter Pan has a wide variety of items for sale — ranging from stuffed animals to purses to greeting cards, with everything in between — for reasonable prices and with free gift wrapping included.
Following Peter Pan, Napolitano and Garwood visited Moorestown Flower Shoppe in it’s new home across the street from its previous location for a discussion with owner Mary Zoltowski; then to Signature Designs, now in its 34th year of providing shoppers with handmade crafts, jewelry and other gift items.
“The longtime success of businesses like Peter Pan, Moorestown Flower Shoppe and Signature Designs shows the deep roots that Moorestown’s family-owned shops have in this community,” Deputy Mayor Garwood stated. “It was fantastic to talk to our local business owners and hear directly from them they have done to succeed on Main Street and how the township can help their success continue.”
For the final stops, Napolitano was joined by Delgado to visit two of Moorestown’s newer neighbors, Remember Me Stationery and Aunt Selma’s Candy. Remember Me Stationery, owned by Colleen O’Neill, offers custom designed invitations and stationery items as well as unique gifts. Aunt Selma’s Candy, which was relocated by
owner Pam Orris to Moorestown last year, sells homemade chocolates, candies and ice cream, and was recently named by SJ Magazine as the Best Place to have a Children’s Birthday Party for 2014.
“When you see the energy and passion Moorestown’s business owners have for what they do, it becomes clear why buying local is always the right decision,” Delgado said. “Shops like Remember Me Stationery and Aunt Selma’s need our residents to visit them this Valentine’s Day — and every day — so they can continue providing their customers with quality products and services for years to come.”
In January, Napolitano and Garwood called for a renewed focus on building Moorestown’s business districts along with Delgado and Councilwoman Stacey Jordan.
“These stops were the first of many,” Napolitano added. “Moorestown businesses can expect to hear from us in the coming months, and we hope they will reach out to us as well with any concerns, questions, or suggestions that can help move Moorestown forward.”
