11.22.2021
Making a gutsy move: Napa Valley local opens Habituate at First Street Napa
napavalleyregister.com
By Craig Smith
Haley Shackford describes Habituate, which she opened on Labor Day weekend last year, as a “carefully curated brand of housewares and clothing that style your life. Need a gift, want to furnish a room, or buy an outfit? That’s what Habituate is.”
The store has been very well received, said Shackford.
“People say. ‘Oh, we love your store,’ and ‘Your price points are great,’ all the time, which makes me feel good about what we are doing.”
Still, opening in the middle of a pandemic was a gutsy move, and you might ask, if she had known then what we all know now, would she still have opened when she did?
It’s a question Shackford can answer quickly, enthusiastically, and without ambiguity. “Absolutely!”
Admittedly, COVID has had some negative impacts.
“This was supposed to be the first year that all three of my kids would be in school, and I planned on being able to spend a lot of time in the store. Instead, like lots of moms, I became a teacher.”
Shackford said she was fortunate enough to hire a strong staff, with even family friends coming to the rescue, so she’s been able to focus on homeschooling as well as her business.
