In the Spring of 2022, Abby MacQueen took a huge step, expanding her Guppi Sustainable Surf Co. brand by opening a flagship store in Downtown Wildwood.
Following a strong first season at 3113 Pacific Avenue, Guppi is relocating to a more spacious home three blocks south at 3417 Pacific (previously the home of Beach Whiskers, which has moved to the Boardwalk Mall).
The store will be located on the block that sits directly across from Byrne Plaza, nestled between Maggie’s Boutique and The Yellow Umbrella Gift Shoppe.
“Our first season in the shop was awesome,” said MacQueen, who launched Guppi in 2018, and has continued to develop her eco-friendly line of apparel made from recycled water bottles and other sustainable materials.
“It was great to have a place for people to come shop and hang out. We had so much support from the community and received so much positive feedback. The opportunity for the new location was brought to my attention, and it was hard to say no. The size of the space is awesome and has some charm, and also plenty of potential to make it our own.”
For MacQueen, venturing further into the heart of the downtown business district is a strategic and sentimental move.
“It’s great to be right across from Byrne Plaza, which is where Guppi first started at the [Downtown Wildwood] Farmer’s Market,” she explained. “It just feels like home. I hope with the new space, it will allow for new ideas and opportunity for new products from both Guppi and other eco-friendly vendors.
“I’ve only begun moving in, and I feel so welcome. The neighbors have all come to say hi and I think we are all going to have a lot of fun on our block!”
In addition to Guppi, Maggie’s Boutique and The Yellow Umbrella, the block is home to The Cove in Wildwood, Hooked on Books, Blue Homes Real Estate and The Panini Cafe on Pacific, which is being prepped for a Spring 2023 grand opening.
Looking ahead to a new year in a new location, MacQueen noted that she is feeling more relaxed after the whirlwind process of opening her first store.
“As far as what we’ll be doing differently in 2023, nothing is set in stone, but the wheels are always turning,” she said. “We are working on some new designs and some new products for the spring.
“Opening the new store last year, everything happened so fast. We signed the lease and had only six weeks to get ready for summer. Then we went right into the season and I feel there wasn’t enough time to sit back and think. With this go-around, I’m looking forward to taking the winter to really visualize and be creative with the space and all the new things we bring in.”
For more information on Guppi and to view the online store, visit www.guppistyle.com.
For additional updates, follow Guppi on Facebook and Instagram.
5 Mile Notebook
At present, the only vacant location on the 3400 block of Pacific is at 3411. This spot was most recently occupied by Five Mile Grind, which did not open in 2022. Prior to that, it was The Wild Scoop… Guppi’s relocation leaves an open unit at 3113 Pacific, situated between Taqueria El Azteca (which also debuted in 2021) and another vacant unit, previously occupied by Krispy Krunchy Chicken. The north end of the block is anchored by Fred Musso’s Ultra Neon sign shop.
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