Bamboo & You set to expand to new location
On a trip to Hawaii a few years ago, Carleta Rawlings discovered a bamboo store, a product she thought would do well in environmentally friendly Olympia.
That became the inspiration for her business, which is set to turn four in June. The business got its start downtown in the New Caldonia Building on Fifth Avenue. That location is known for its interior location of shops, including a cafe. It’s also the home of the Olympia Downtown Association.
But now the business is set to move to a streetfront location at 202 Fifth Ave. SE that was vacated by a cosmetics business called Terra Firma.
The space is three times as large, owner Rawlings said. It will have window displays, more room for inventory and fitting rooms, she said.
Rawlings also has a plan to plant bamboo fronds in front of the store.
The store will open at its new address on May 6, including a Thurston County Chamber of Commerce-organized ribbon cutting at 2:30 p.m., she said.
Bamboo & You sells clothes for men, women and infants made from bamboo, a fabric, Rawlings said, that is odor resistant, hypo-allergenic and that wicks moisture away from the body. Popular items include boxer briefs, underwear, socks and dish cloths, she said.
When Rawlings first opened the store, she sold T-shirts made from bamboo, but that product alone didn’t catch on, so she diversified her selection and the business grew. She now pulls customers from Lakewood and Tacoma and has a customer email list that numbers 700-800 people, she said.
Employee and friend Mia Magdaline has some chemical sensitivity issues tied to wearing other fabrics, she said, but then she tried wearing bamboo and those problems went away.
“It’s what I put on,” Magdaline said. “Everything I wear is bamboo.”
Rawlings said she buys her products from U.S. wholesalers. Brands that she carries include Yala, Wayi, Carole Wang and Bamboosa.
Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403, @rolf_boone
Bamboo & You
Owner: Carleta Rawlings
Location: Current location is 116 Fifth Ave., Suite D, in downtown Olympia’s New Caldonia Building, but the business is moving down the street to 202 Fifth Ave. SE. It will reopen there at 2:30 p.m. May 6 with a ribbon cutting.
Type of business: Retailer of clothes made from bamboo for men, women and infants.
Years in business: Bamboo & You will celebrate four years in June.
Employees: 2.
Online: You can find Bamboo & You on Facebook or go to www.bambooandu.com.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Did you know? Before Carleta Rawlings opened Bamboo & You, she sold real estate, and before that, she escorted travel tours around the world for 20 years, she said. “I’m an entrepreneur,” said Rawlings, adding that she’s most comfortable running her own business.
This story was originally published April 23, 2016 at 6:43 AM with the headline "Bamboo & You set to expand to new location."