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Notes: Alexandria women’s shoe store thriving in Old Town

By ALXnow.com

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🚨 You need to know

Shoe at The Shoe Hive (photo via The Shoe Hive/Facebook)

The Washington Business Journal ran a profile on The Shoe Hive, a boutique women’s shoe store that celebrated 20 years in Old Town last month.

The Journal said owner Elizabeth Todd started the company after traveling to other cities for work and discovering that other cities had a much better footwear market than Alexandria. A friend said they were relocating away from their shop on Royal STreet, and Todd decided to move in and launch a shoe store.

During the pandemic, the Journal reported that the store was closed during part of 2020, but Todd kept the business alive and relevant with “virtual trunk shows” and FaceTime calls, with store employees taking items to customers.

The store also received two Paycheck Protection Program loans in 2020 and 2021, which were both forgiven, the Journal reported.

The store has since expanded, with The Hive opening at 315 Cameron Street and men’s footwear-focused Yellow Jacket opening at 301 Cameron Street.

Now, Todd told the Journal that her focus is primarily on keeping up with big box stores and online retailers.

Photo via The Shoe Hive/Facebook

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