New gift shop focused on selling eco-friendly items opens in downtown Tacoma
A new gift shop has arrived in downtown Tacoma, and more than half of the store is full of eco-friendly toys, accessories, beauty products and more.
Eco Repurpose Boutique, a shop inside the Waterfront Market at Ruston, has opened a second, larger location at 1932 Pacific Ave.
Store owner Norma Irish started Eco Repurpose Boutique in 2021. Her permanent spot inside the market was originally called Grandma’s Magical Closet, where she sold items like toys, accessories and other gifts.
Irish, a military veteran, also sold lots of repurposed purses and bags made out of old military tents. The idea of adding more eco-friendly products appealed to Irish, and she eventually switched the name to Eco Repurpose Boutique.
The plan to open a second location had been a long time coming — the store in Ruston is only 600 square feet.
Irish said she found the space in downtown Tacoma through the folks at Stocklist Goods & Gifts, the store directly adjacent to 1932 Pacific Ave. Other retail shops have occupied the space in the past, including UrbanXchange and Channing Baby & Co.
The new location had its grand opening Wednesday.
While Eco Repurpose Boutique is focused on selling eco-friendly products, it’s not a requirement. About 60% of the products inside the store are eco-friendly, Irish said.
“We believe that small changes still can make a big difference,” Irish said. “We’re not perfect, and we don’t expect anybody else to be perfect.”
It’s harder to find eco-friendly versions of some products, especially trendy toys like squishy fidget toys or slime. But lots of toys inside the store are eco-friendly, like stuffed animals made with recycled water bottles or plastic toys made with sustainable materials.
Eco Repurpose Boutique also takes part in the nonprofit 1% for the Planet, which means 1% of the store’s annual sales go toward environmental organizations.
The store continues to sell a selection of repurposed bags and purses, plus children’s books, accessories, games, jewelry and eco-friendly beauty products.
The Pacific Ave location has a back room where Irish wants to host events like slime-making classes, Mahjong groups, knitting clubs and more.
Both locations of Eco Repurpose Boutique are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.
