(Lauren Kelling | Photo by Ronni Wilde)
Central Oregon has no shortage of special places, and Oregon Body & Bath is one of them. Located at 1019 NW Wall Street in downtown Bend, this little shop is big on tradition and charm. The business has been a local, independent and unique boutique in Bend since 1992, and is housed in the historical Metropolitan Barber Shop Building, which was built in the early 1920s and still features the original wood floor and exposed brick.
Depending upon which direction you are journeying on Wall Street, Oregon Body & Bath is either the first or last stop on the stretch of downtown between Newport and Franklin avenues, next to the Bank of America building. Once inside, the shelves are overflowing with body products, fragrances, travel supplies, seasonal items and much more.
Though Oregon Body & Bath has been in the same location since it opened 27 years ago, the shop has had four owners. Lauren Kelling, the current owner, purchased the store 4-1/2 years ago after she and her husband and children relocated to Bend in 2014. Her gung-ho attitude and dedication to growing the business while maintaining its traditions keeps Oregon Body & Bath thriving.
“A friend and I were looking for something fun and creative to do when we found this business for sale,” said Kelling, who has a degree in Recreation Management from Arizona State University and ten years of experience in corporate sales. “I am very proud that we have improved sales each year, brought in new business and helped Downtown Bend grow.”
Kelling said her favorite thing about owning the shop is being part of the Downtown Bend community. “I have been part of the Downtown Bend Business Association for four years, and it’s been awesome connecting with those business owners to help make downtown thrive. We all come together with that goal, and I have learned so much from these other professionals.” She added, “It’s empowering to own a thriving business in an incredible town like Bend. I want to continue to be an anchor business for Downtown Bend. We’ve seen downtown grow, and that’s been really neat to watch.”
Kelling has been the sole proprietor of Oregon Body & Bath since 2018 and said that the most challenging aspect of running the business has been striking the balance between keeping the inventory fresh and exciting while also maintaining the products that longtime customers want to see on the shelves. Most of the items she carries are small-batch or handmade products created by Oregon artisans. “It’s a weekly process to order products that bring in new customers while also keeping the longtime clients happy.” Going forward into 2020, Kelling said her big goal is to grow the e-commerce side of her business and to improve her website so that she can reach the customers who love shopping in her store wherever they are.
“I love the loyalty of the customers. Having been here 27 years, people come back and have memories of this place,” she said. “People vacation here and come back every summer and buy the same thing. I hear, ‘This is my first stop on vacation.’ It’s really neat. When you buy a business, you don’t expect that. It’s truly one of my favorite parts of this.”
One of the mainstays of Oregon Body & Bath is its perfume-making area. In the back of the shop behind the front counter, there is an area that houses dozens of scents that clients can use to create their own fragrances. A perfume recipe file is kept on hand so that customers can come back and re-create their favorites. “This was the heart and soul of the shop when it started. We’ve used the same vendors for 25 years,” said Kelling.
The sense of community and nostalgia are apparent in Oregon Body & Bath, and Kelling strives to maintain that culture. Red brick walls, a full basement and doors that used to lead somewhere but now open to a ten-foot dropoff at the back of the building serve as reminders of the building’s 100-year history. An old clawfoot tub sits proudly on display in the front window, and Kelling said that when she moved the tub’s location awhile back, it caused a small uproar. “The old tub has been in the window for 15 years, and when I moved it inside the shop one summer, everyone missed it, so we moved it back. Everyone asked about the tub, even though it was right inside the shop; it clearly belongs in the window, so we just decorate it seasonally.”
It’s no accident that the Metro-politan Barber Shop Building and its tenants remain among the pillars in downtown Bend. Kelling said the owner and property manager — who is the grandson of the man who built the building nearly a century ago — screens potential tenants carefully to ensure they are a good fit. “Getting the lease was the most intense part of purchasing the business,” she said. “The landlord is very particular that whoever goes in here will succeed. He got my resume, my business background, my financial backing, etc.” As stringent as the leasing process may have been, the strategy seems to work: Kelling and her staff have a friendly camaraderie with their neighbors at the Metropolitan Barber Shop, which has been there since the building was erected: As time allows, barber shop staff members pop in between clients just to say hello.
The staff at Oregon Body & Bath is comprised of six women, some of whom are longtime employees. “I work with six incredible women,” said Kelling. “I’m super lucky.” While Kelling’s husband is not on staff, she said he enjoys coming in and helping out on First Friday Art Walk evenings once a month. “It’s our date night,” she said with a laugh. The couple has twin eight-year-old sons, and she said her family is proud of her and her accomplishments. “I love that my boys and husband are proud of what I do. There’s so much more that goes into running a business than opening the doors and turning on the lights.”
While the holiday season and Black Friday are certainly big shopping days in downtown Bend and at Oregon Body & Bath, Kelling said one of the busiest days of the year is Shop Small Saturday in November. Shopping local is near and dear to her heart, she said, and is one of the messages she most wants to convey. “It’s always a special day and is emotional,” she said, with voice cracking and eyes tearing over. “People come in all day and tell you that they are just here to shop local; the shop is filled all day long. You see the same faces every year. It speaks volumes about this community. As much as Bend has grown, it’s still a supportive small community.”
oregonbodyandbath.com • 541-383-5890
