The Shops of Griffin Park, an extensive curated collection of vintage and new goods and gifts all under one roof, is now bringing unique, memorable finds from 35 local vendors and artists to Jonesboro’s Valley View area thanks to co-owners Lynn Chrisman and Jo Brinkle.

Chrisman and Brinkle have a long history in the retail and gift shop industry, which they were eager to bring to The Shops of Griffin Park. The former owner of Froggie’s Full Sun, Chrisman sold that local gift store in 2017; that same year, the two women, who have been friends since 1996, teamed up to open Lucy Lu’s Boutique on Alexander Drive, a second location of which is now a featured booth in The Shops of Griffin Park. Chrisman has since been working with a Dallas/Atlanta showroom and as a retail consultant and buyer for other retail stores. Brinkle, the former owner of Passing Fancies Interiors, has taken her 34 years of teaching experience to Greene County Tech Middle School.

“We decided last year that we wanted to have our own vendors market and retail space, so we brought Lucy Lu’s with it,” said Chrisman. “Finding and moving into this space on Southwest Drive was a really quick decision. We found the space one weekend, looked at it on Wednesday, signed the lease on Friday and opened up a week later. Jo and myself completely refurbished the space and had vendors in here to open on Black Friday last year. It was a whirlwind of emotions and hard work, but we did it.

“This is an up-and-coming location; this area is exploding. It’s really grown, even in the year since we have been here. We thought we would get in on it before it happened. There was nothing really out here where the Valley View community could shop.”

The 35 shops within The Shops of Griffin Park feature six local artists, as well as vendors with clothing, food, seasonal décor, lamps, local baked goods, home decor, crafts, woodworking, windchimes, furniture, collectibles, gourmet foods and more, including products like eggs, honey and pumpkins from a local working farm. Vendors include Lucy Lu’s Boutique, Heritage Woodworking, Ruby Jo’s, Moonpie Magnolia, Projekt Lazy Bird, Choices, By His Grace, Blue Butterfly, Briar Rose Boutique, Marceline Art, Red’s Snack Therapy, Picked by Pickering, Denny’s Den, Karma Home, KT’s Korner, Anastasia’s Finds, TAG Art Work, Art by Luci, Bradley’s Coin and Cards, Chevin’s Collection, Primitives by Hazel, Rethunk Junk, Fletcher’s Finds, Topanga and many more.

“We felt like it was important for us to start a retail (shop) in the Valley View community,” said Brinkle. “When we found this space, we thought it was a perfect fit in this growing area. We are more of a gift shop than a flea market; we wanted to have different vendors, even if they weren’t vintage, and many of them carry locally made items.”

The two women, who both share a love for interior design, also share a love for the holidays. Many of the shops, as well as their own Lucy Lu’s Boutique, are full of fall décor, clothing and accessory items, and that will continue through Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“We are really looking forward to the holidays,” said Brinkle. “We actually love the holidays so much we would have loved to open a store that carried only holiday items, but we went in this direction instead.”

The store’s co-owners say the area has really supported their new business from day one.

“We have been busy with a steady flow of customers since the very first day we opened,” said Chrisman. “The community and our vendors have really helped us spread the word, along with a lot of daily posts on social media.”

Many of the new and returning customers have established relationships with The Shops of Griffin Park’s two employees, Steven Primm and Melanie Smith, who have also been impressed with the community support.

“The local support has been great,” agreed Brinkle. “We have a lot of customers who live right here, and some of them might come in two or three times a week. We have a lot of Valley View area customers who are also business owners, which we support in return.”

As part of that business support, The Shops of Griffin Park is participating in Artsy Unique Boutique’s Artsy Christmas Craft Show on Nov. 16 at the Hilton Garden Ballroom. The Shops of Griffin Park will also host its own Christmas Open House on Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Nov. 3 from noon to 5 p.m.; the store will offer discounts, refreshments, door prizes, free gift wrapping and a warm welcome and a thank you to the community for a wonderful first year.

“Most of our vendors are women, and we love to promote women in business,” said Brinkle. “I love seeing the people find something that they really want and really love, especially with vintage items and home décor; they’re so excited when they find just the right item. We are proud to provide a place where people can find gifts, and the free gift bag/wrapping and gift baskets are a perk, too.”

For more information about The Shops of Griffin Park, located at 4701 Southwest Drive, Suite B, call (870) 604-8572 or follow the business on social media.