(Photo above: (L-R) Larie Borden and Gwen Whitten | by Krystal Marie Collins)
The new Clementine: Urban Mercantile is the result of a merger between two downtown retail locations, Clutch (Larie Borden) and Active Girl (Gwen Whitten). Borden, a Bend native, opened Clutch on Minnesota Avenue in 2007 with a focus on designer handbags and accessories. In 2012, Clutch joined the collective of stores inside Tres Jolie on Wall Street.
Active Girl was actually only open for four months before the merger. The idea came from a previous business Whitten operated in Washington called Active Girl Escapes which led all female groups on outdoor excursions.
The two decided it just made sense to “join forces and merge the stores. We don’t want to be just a handbag store or just a clothing store. We chose the name Clementine: Urban Mercantile because we liked the idea of an old fashioned general store where you could find a little of everything.”
When asked what was the most challenging part of opening Clementine: Urban Mercantile was, Co-owner Gwen Whitten says, “We didn’t find out that we were chosen to lease the new space until the middle of October and we knew that we needed to be up and running in time for the holidays. Renovating the space, packing up both stores and then setting up our new store in just two weeks was a major challenge!”
Borden and Whitten say customers find the products in their shop unique among other options downtown. “We feature a number of artisans from Bend and around the Northwest. We have the best handbag selection in town, some beautiful clothing lines, home decor and a wide selection of gifts for yourself or your loved ones. Our longtime loyal customers love the new store and we’re gaining new ones every day. The warm welcome from our new neighbors has been so nice as well.”
Clementine: Urban Mercantile
Gwen and Larie, at 541-306-3099
855 NW Wall St., Bend
