The details
The business opened in October 2020, and looking back, Sawyer said she should have been “way more scared” than she was.
The store is a women’s apparel, accessory and gift boutique, Sawyer said. She had a background in corporate retail, but was laid off at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She initially turned down the idea of opening the store, she said; but eventually relented.
“I had gotten very comfortable in the corporate space,” Sawyer said. “I had been there for so long.”
What’s special about it
Sawyer said her number one focus, as well as that of her staff, is to ensure the customers have an enjoyable shopping experience.
She said the staff at Black Willow is able to make personal connections with customers, which keeps them coming back.
“Part of the reason we love and support our community so much is because they gave us an opportunity to survive [during the COVID-19 pandemic],” Sawyer said. “We know we would not have our doors open if they didn’t support us in that time.”
She said the business is popular with its customer base because it is located in an area that wants to support local businesses.
What’s in a name?
Sawyer knew she wanted the name of the store to have something to do with a tree, she said.
“We knew we wanted to be rooted in the community,” Sawyer said.
She also said black is her favorite color and initially considered named the store Black Tree; however, she did biblical research on the willow tree and found that the in the Bible, the willow tree is known for withstanding several storms.
“We thought ‘what a great way to incorporate opening during the wild time that was 2020,’” Sawyer said.
