Heidi Weeks and Tim Fisk.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
NORTHAMPTON — A former Greenfield shop is bringing its “magical” ambiance to the heart of downtown Northampton.
After bringing joy to customers in Greenfield since 2020, Plum Boutique is now taking shop at 202 Main St. in Northampton.
Operated by business partners Heidi Weeks and Tim Fisk, Plum is a multifaceted boutique store that offers jewelry, clothing, accessories, home goods and styling services.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Fisk said there are two halves to the brick and mortar and online shopping experience at Plum: modern women’s clothing and lifestyle branding; the latter of which includes home goods, bath and body goods, children’s clothing, jewelry and more.
“We think of ourselves as having two avatars,” Fisk said. “There’s the person that’s going to come into the store and buy for themselves, and then there’s the person that’s coming to the store exclusively to buy for somebody else. That’s the shopping experience here.”
When it comes to curating the clothes for the shop, Fisk said they are typically looking for small vendors, while Weeks added that she is typically partial toward natural fabrics like linens and cottons.
“I like finding lifetime pieces that you can buy and bring into your wardrobe and have for many, many years,” Weeks said.
Fisk added, “We want it to be accessible to all ages and all body types, which I think is important, and that’s not an easy sweet spot to find, but I think Heidi does a pretty good job of it.”
Aside from those offerings, Weeks — who has 20 years of retail experience in the Pioneer Valley, including 15 years at Artisan Gallery in Northampton — provides styling services to clients as well.
“She’ll refresh your closet and redesign your wardrobe using your closet,” said Fisk, who added that a study shows that most women only use 40% of their wardrobe. “It’s just a really cool way to kind of reuse, recycle, upcycle your current wardrobe.”
“The benefits of doing something like that is that we can go into your closet and create a micro wardrobe of things that you already have, and then take away things that may be out of season, or out of style, and add things that can elevate it just a little bit more,” Weeks added.
The services go beyond just the wardrobe though. Weeks also offers styling services for people’s home.
“She can redecorate your home using the things that are already in your house,” Fisk said, as an example. “Sometimes it’s just about that new eye of moving things around and kind of looking at it through a new lens.”
While Fisk and Weeks enjoyed their time in Greenfield over the past four years, Fisk said they wanted to jump on the opportunity in Northampton because they wanted to elevate the brand “a little bit more.”
“It was really interesting opening in the middle of the [coronavirus] pandemic,” Fisk said of their initial days in Greenfield. “The Greenfield community at that point and time supported us a lot.”
Fisk and Weeks both said they are excited to be on this new adventure. Weeks noted how there has been a good mix of new and old customers at the Northampton location, so far.
“I think the business community here is very robust, active and collaborative,” Fisk added. “Northampton has a rich culture of commerce and small businesses.”
When asked what separates Plum from other boutique stores, Fisk mentioned the “magical” feeling people get when they walk in.
“I think what sets Plum apart is there’s always this element of whimsy,” Fisk said. “We have things that are meant to put a smile on your face.”
Plum is currently open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Readers can learn more about them by visiting their website: plum413.com.
Aside from his Plum pursuits, Fisk also owns Herdis the Salon in Northampton and Parker on Main in Greenfield.
