MILFORD – Considered by some to be a little bit of Boston’s Newbury Street inside the Milford Oval, award-winning J.M. Princewell, 127 Union St., has been a staple on the oval for well over a decade.

J.M. Princewell owner June Carolyn said she has witnessed many a trend in the downtown area, but eateries are figuratively and literally what feeds business.

“I think it’s safe to say that restaurants are the key to success in our downtown,” she said. “We consider our area to have more breakfast places than anywhere else in southern New Hampshire. I’d like to consider us the breakfast capital of New Hampshire.”

By carrying a variety of clothing and jewelry- they carry Pandora – plus artisanal products and gifts from around the world, J.M. Princewell has developed a steady stream of repeat customers and new shoppers as well.

“There is some foot traffic, and as stocking dealers of commercial niche products, we have the opportunity to showcase what we have and offer people a chance to walk through and see what we offer.”

Carolyn said there is a certain type of retail that serves the oval well, such as the aforementioned restaurants. People often lunch or brunch in the oval and it’s that foot traffic that leads customers into her gift boutique.

“I think that different ethnicities would be welcome here,” she said. “Even though we look like a sleepy little town, there’s a lot of very sophisticated people here who travel the world. And they know food.”

Restaurants, Carolyn said, are not just entertainment; because of people’s busy schedules, they are a necessity. As for retail stores, she discussed the sheer cost of stocking so many different items in a store chock-full of gift choices, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been tough on small businesses on the oval.

“The thing that distinguishes us from other retail that seems to be booming at this time, is that we are the sole proprietors,” she stated. “The costs are amazing. We pay all the bills.”

It’s that inventory that can be a double-edged sword. But for Carolyn, it’s a well-navigated process. She cites her experience in working in wholesale before retail that gives her a strategic advantage.

“I worked with some very successful stores,” she shared. “I worked in a sales group with a lot of reps. And learned so much about retail by just listening and watching and working next to these successful people.”

That gave Carolyn a unique perspective, because she represented some high-power brands like Vera Bradley.

“The look of that on the shelf has to be just right, in order to sell,” she said. “In the store, I had the opportunity to talk to different people when they would come in, and I would also be part of any special festivities that we held in the store to bring attention, so I learned then that if you want to capture people’s attention, it had better be varied.”

Carolyn said she has a love of antiques and collectibles. She said being in a store such as Anthropologie, which is part of URBN Brands (that includes the popular Urban Outfitters), gives wholesalers a distinctive look at the retail landscape.

“Atlanta is probably the biggest market they’re in,” she said. “I had the opportunity to see retail there and my favorite store was Anthropologie. If you go into one of them anywhere,, the Manhattan store for example, is very small. They offer so much in such a little space, it becomes a bit of a treasure hunt.”

It’s that kind of thinking that has given J.M. Princewell an out-of-the-ordinary approach to sales because of the way that their boutique shop is designed.

“There’s a lot to the eye,” she said. “We consider ourselves experts at what we do. The people who work here are really good at helping people find exactly what they’re looking for as quickly as possible. That seems to be the way people want it to be unless you’re doing something special with Pandora, which can take a lot of time.”

Carrying the Pandora brand is a particular feather in J.M. Princewell’s cap. The jewelry line, the largest in the world, sells charm bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces and pendants. Carolyn said they bought the brand twelve years ago.

“Back then, it cost one-tenth of what it costs now,” she said. “I was so fortunate to work with so many retailers. When they found out that I wanted to open a store, they were right there to help me. They said, ‘Go take a look at Pandora,’ so I did.”

As a centerpiece for the store, the Pandora line offers unique jewelry, which is very popular during the holidays.

“The bottom line is that this is a really popular line for special occasions,” Carolyn said. “What is interesting is that we started with the bracelet that required a lot of charms, but it’s so much more than that now.”

The best part, Carolyn added, is that all Pandora jewelry is made of sterling silver.

“We’re not doing the silver plate thing,” she said. “Which means this is something that can last forever. And Pandora has morphed into this amazing line that has so much to offer with the earrings and the necklaces and the fashion bracelets. I like the stand-alone pieces, but in the end, people still love the idea of having sentimental pieces of jewelry.”

As for the oval, Carolyn said the downtown services a small demographic compared to any of the larger, neighboring towns such as Nashua. And “different is everything.” One of the store concepts that she discussed was any possibility of someone bringing a men’s haberdashery to the oval.

“I think that would be great here,” she said. “We need totally different entities that the overall population would be interested in.”

Carolyn also notioned that an upscale bakery in town would be a boon.

“We need somebody here,” she said. “Culture, a sandwich restaurant makes all their own bread. I think that’s absolutely wonderful. In the history of my work life, I’ve seen that happen. People will love it. I think we need an upscale bakery that reflects the area.”

With people still reticent about venturing out, Carolyn said that when they reopened J.M. Princewell in May, shoppers came back.

“As soon as we opened around Mother’s Day, it was incredible,” she said. “First, we saw the nurses, because they are the ones who are out and working. That was the first wave. And people are coming back.”

Carolyn said that people like the special niche products, and that’s why they keep coming back to Princewell’s.

“Anything that people recognize is good for me,” she said. “It has a track record and the company stands behind things. And we love fair trade and we love ethical companies. We like good ingredients in our things. We’re pretty fussy about the things that we buy.”

Newsletter