This new east-side shop features handmade art from more than 100 local vendors
- by Arizona Daily Star
- Sep 24, 2024
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Saguaro Square owner Shannyn Wilson walks down an aisle counting available spaces for vendors.Â
Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star
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âWe get a lot of people being like, âWe canât buy anything but Iâll spread the word,â and thatâs just as helpful,â Wilson says, adding that Saguaro Square has made more than 660 transactions since opening in August.
Saguaro Square, 50 S. Houghton Road, opened on Aug. 25.
Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star
Saguaro Square is also a good space for shoppers and vendors alike who may share a bit of anxiety. Shoppers donât have to feel guilty for walking away empty-handed in front of an artist. Vendors donât have to stand at a market in front of strangers, pitching their artwork to hundreds of potential shoppers.
âItâs a great space for (vendors) to drop their items and go,â Wilson says. âIt gives them a good opportunity to earn money passively. Sometimes just starting out can be really daunting, so we take that out and do that for them â marketing their items and selling their items.â
Staff will even take the time to learn small snippets about each of the vendors. They can tell shoppers about a tiny feature on the back of an art piece or what kind of material was used to make a certain item.
âMy biggest goal is helping support other small businesses,â Wilson says. âWhen you come in here, you know youâre getting something from a small business. Itâs a good feeling getting something from someone just getting started or a seasoned artist â theyâre all gaining something.â
All the items at Saguaro Square are handmade and from small businesses.
Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star
The idea for Saguaro Square was partially inspired by the Wilsonsâ first business â Candy World, a candy shop in Rita Ranch that they purchased from Kennethâs mom.
In addition to candy, the shop carried art â again lined up on shelves â made by eight to nine vendors.
âSo many people were interested in consignment at Candy World and we were like, âLets just make it bigger,ââ Wilson says. âWe started looking (for a space) and we just went all in.â
âI love Candy World, but it was always my dream to open up something like this,â she says of Saguaro Square. âDuring COVID was when I started diving into other peopleâs small businesses and I saw where people struggled and where there was a gap and how we could help.â
In the future, the Wilsons plan to host events for the community. The shop is right next to Galaxy Theatres, so theyâre hoping to keep Saguaro Square open late on days when new movies premiere. They also would like to host markets in their adjacent courtyard for artists who might be on the Saguaro Square waitlist. Live music is also in the works.
âI think small businesses are pretty much the bread and butter of the economy,â Wilson says. â(Your money) is not going to an overall large company. Itâs putting food on the table and paying for a birthday party.â
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Gloria was born and raised in Tucson and is a 2018 University of Arizona grad. From wildflowers to wildlife, she loves all things Tucson and hopes to share her love of the city with readers â¨
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