RETAILER PROFILE Coming Together New space offers opportunity to connect, engage and inspire BY JULIE MCCALLUM Editorial Director Photos by Julie McCallum K elly Tuit is a people gatherer by nature and loves to throw parties, so opening a shop and event space was a natural fit for the former art teacher turned business owner in Rockford, Michigan. Aptly named gather-d, the charming store opened its bright red front door in September of 2020. Opening in the middle of a pandemic was actually a blessing in disguise for Tuit. " It forced us to take it slow and 114 SUMMER 2021 GIFT SHOP® PLUS do it well. Since the gathering space was not able to be opened right away, I could focus on the retail portion of the building and get that started first and then we began preparing the gathering space during the quieter winter months, " she explained. Each part of gather-d is an extension of Tuit. " It's all carefully curated and hand selected. There are so many little unique rooms within gather-d and they each have their own little flair. I think the best room is the main room with the dining table that guests see when they walk in the front red door. We love to style that space with the unexpected and I love to hear people's reactions when they see it, " she said. " I also love what I call the green room because it's like a small greenhouse with faux plants. And of course it hosts the enormously beautiful hutch that my dad made out of 100 year old barn wood! It's amazing, " she added.