Iowa City Store Owners Team up to Say Merci to the Community with new Pop-Up Clothing Store

Downtown clothing store owners Catherine Champion and Sheila Davisson wanted to work together to achieve their mutual goals of strengthening the downtown, giving back to charities in the community and having fun with a new pop-up store.

The idea they struck upon to achieve all three: Merci.

Merci is a high-end consignment store featuring elements of both , owned by Davisson, and the pop-up retail stores () created by Champion, who also owns and .

The store also offers another twist, as at least 10 percent of all proceeds from each sale goes to one of four local charities: United Action for Youth, Public Space One, the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, and the Shelter House. Davisson said these four charities were chosen so they could contribute to a wide variety of the different elements that make up daily life in Iowa City: youth, crisis, shelter and public art.

Davisson said the response to the store so far has been very positive, and has helped them in their goal to make a difference in the community.

"Downtown thrives when we are a community and we work together," Davisson said. "It made sense for us to do something together and to give back, and we felt by doing it this way we would be able to make a sizeable contribution."

Davisson said part of this enthusiasm from shoppers has come from the store's temporary nature. Like all pop-up stores, Merci will open be open at its current location of 30 S. Clinton for only a short while. After opening April 18, it should close toward the end of May, she said.

"It's a true pop-up store in the sense that we are here for only a limited time and if people don't come in during the time its here they'll miss it," Davisson said.  "The concept of this based on the immediacy. The fact that you have to come in fast to be part of the action is fun and exciting."

Davisson said the store was stocked months ahead of times by consignors who offered up more than 2,000 items for sale. The local consignors have the option of which of the four charities will get 10 percent of the sale (donating to all of them is also an option), and then the remaining proceeds are split by Merci and the consignor. Davisson said some consignors, though, have decided to give their portion of the profit to charity as well.

Included in the items for sale, mostly geared toward women, are: accessories, handbags, shoes, jeans, tops, skirts, dresses, pants, active wear, scarves, hats and more. These include clothes from high end brands such as DVF, Coach, Kate Spade, True Religion, and Cole Haan.

"The prices are amazing, because even though the clothing is pre-owned the items are in great condition and they sell at a fraction of retail price," Davisson said.

Davisson, who said she has never done a pop-up store before teaming up with Champion, said things have been going so well so far that she would be interested in doing it again this year.

She also said part of the fun is being in the space that used to be Gilda Imports when she was growing up in Iowa City.

"I remember that she always had such beautiful things and she was always a presence in the store," Davisson said. "It's an honor to be here in this cool space."

Learn more about Merci at the store's Facebook page.