BOULDER — Organic-cotton clothing. Paraben-free Doggie Wash. Unbleached coffee filters. Recycled glassware.
These products have taken center stage in a new outlet dedicated solely to green, organic and recycled housewares.
Ellie’s Eco Homestore opens Saturday, the only store of its size in the nation offering 7,000 all-green, -organic or -recycled products. The 9,700-square-foot store is in Boulder, at 2525 Arapahoe in the McGuckin’s Plaza, next to the Sunflower Market.
“Our store is everything but food,” said Steve Savage, owner of Ellie’s parent Eco Products, maker of compostable and biodegradable food-service products. “Folks like Whole Foods and Alfalfa took a leap of faith and opened and proved that people want those products. Now, we are going to take that same leap of faith.”
The Natural Food Merchandiser’s 2007 Market Overview supports the leap Savage is making with statistics that show natural and green houseware-product sales increased by 32.4 percent last year, reaching $365 million. Organic houseware products grew 67.3 percent last year to $17 million in sales, and sales of natural household cleaners and supplies increased 18.8 percent from 2006 to 2007 to $73 million.
Savage bills Ellie’s, named after his 9-year-old daughter, as an “environmental Target with a splash of Home Depot, the size of Bed, Bath and Beyond.”
For 12 years, a small retail store took up 2,000 square feet of space at the Eco Products warehouse. That space accounted for $2 million in sales annually, about $1,100 per square foot, without marketing or a dedicated staff, prompting Savage to plan the larger store.
He hired general manager Carly Marriott in February, signed the lease for the site in April and has spent $1 million to open the store. If earnings reach $600 per square foot, Savage plans to open another store, possibly in Fort Collins or Cherry Creek, he said.
Ellie’s store brand, Savage Goods, will rival prices for products at Target, Savage said. Competitive pricing was one of the top goals for Savage and his team.
“This is unique, and it’s a testament to the fact that the market has moved to the mainstream,” said Susan Graf, chief executive of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce.
Elizabeth Aguilera: 303-954-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com
