Business & Tech
Life is Good: New Huntington Store to Feature the Lifestyle Brand
A Kings Park couple chose Huntington Village for the location of a new 'Genuine Neighborhood Store.'
A new store is coming to Huntington later this month.
To be located at 249 Main Street, Jake's Island Outpost will sell casual adults' and children's clothing, accessories, housewares and pet items under the "Life is good" brand. The store is one of more than 100 'Genuine Neighborhood Shoppes' in the U.S., which are independently owned retail stores that predominantly sell Life is good merchandise. Long Island has one other Genuine Neighborhood Shoppe, called No Worries, in Westhampton Beach.
Jeannie and Bill Weller, the Huntington store's owners, are retired New York City police officers who live in Kings Park with their daughters, Kristina, 14, and Julia, 11.
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"We wanted to open a business where our daughters could work and where we could teach them a good work ethic," said Jeannie Weller. The Wellers were impressed with Boston-based Life is Good's merchandise and the company's reputation for giving back to the community.
The Wellers chose the name "Jake" for a character that appears on many Life is good items. "Island" was selected for Long Island, and "outpost" for its generic feel, which the Wellers thought was appropriate given the wide range of merchandise the store will carry.
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The couple shopped for retail space in several communities before selecting the 7,000-square-foot space in Huntington. "It's a classy neighborhood and there are a lot of people walking around," Jeannie Weller said. "We wanted to be a part of that."
Life is good items include tee shirts, hoodies, sweat suits, lounge and sleepwear, travel and tote bags, mugs, picture frames, vases, towels, coolers, games and toys. The pet collection includes collars, leashes, bowls and dog beds. "We plan to make it a pet-friendly shop," Jeannie Weller said. "We know how much pets mean to their owners."
The Wellers are planning to hold a grand opening celebration when the store opens its doors, most likely by the end of March, Jeannie Weller said.
These are tough economic times, but the Wellers, who are retail business neophytes, are undeterred. "Life is Good was started [in 1989] by two guys selling tee-shirts door to door, and now look at them," Jeannie Weller said. "We want to spread optimism – there isn't enough of it around."
