Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
CELEBRATING — Beals Variety is celebrating its 15th anniversary this week. Ready to greet you at the Market Square store are, from left, Kim Carmichael, Shelly and Mike Beals.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
HOULTON — In just a little over a week, Beals Variety will be celebrating its 15th year anniversary. Though it has been a rollercoaster ride economically the last few years, Beals Variety has remained a steadfast staple within the Houlton community.
The Beals family extends a thank you to their customers for their support through the years.
The Beals started their business at 84 Main St. and have hopscotched to a variety of downtown locations, and will be celebrating their milestone at their new — or old location — since they are moving back to one of the original sites in Market Square.
To commemorate the day, Oct. 4, Beals Variety will be offering quarter merchandise at 15 cents.
Owner Mike and Shelly Beals, along with their daughter, Kim Carmichael, have been operating the store since its beginning.
“There are no other stores in town who can say for the last 15 years it has solely been family run,” said Carmichael.
Beals Variety has a small town touch given to its fortitude through the ebbing economy.
“It is also a small town welcome knowing the same family has been here,” added Carmichael. “I love the little town that we live in.”
Beals Variety is a collective assortment of an array of products from greeting cards, embroidering threads, craft and scrapbooking items to home décor and a surplus of unique, affordable merchandise.
“If you cannot find it anywhere else, come here, chances are we have it or we can get our hands on it,” said Mike.
In today’s world, bargains are what many consumers are looking to get and at Beals Variety, those deals are waiting to be discovered.
“There is nothing wrong with the merchandise,” said Mike. “We buy wholesale. That is why the prices are lower.”
Though the storage area and storefront have narrowed with the move, Beals Variety still packs a substantial “bang for your buck,” as the Beals continue to add more variety to their inventory.
“We work with a lot of companies,” said Mike, “including a supplier from Bath. If it wasn’t for him, we would not have a lot of merchandise.” As Shelly injects, “At the price that it is.”
One of the busiest times of the year for the Beals is Christmas and the more popular articles include – primitives, party supplies and crafts.
“I would like to expand it more into a party store,” added Shelly.
Beals Variety has evolved through the years.
“We started as a yard sale,” said Shelly. “We always had a family yard sale every year.”
One year, the weather wasn’t cooperating for an outdoor event, so Merton Beals owned a vacant building and the sale was moved inside.
“It was rainy,” said Mike. “It was fall. After the sale, Shelly kept it going and adding more things.”
“I thought I could do this and bring in a little extra money,” added Shelly.
Within a couple of months, Beals Variety emerged, as the community was responsive to a discount store. Beals Variety opened in 1998 and Mike came on board full time in the summer of 1999 after retiring from the local school department.
Beals Variety offers special orders on merchandise and is getting a new display of greeting cards.
“We are switching companies to get a better variety,” said Mike.
The Beals, as well as other downtown businesses, are working hard to build a niche in the community.
“We have met some really nice people,” agreed Kim and Shelly.
“We would like to see more people downtown shopping,” said Mike. “Give our little businesses a chance.”
Beals Variety may not be a big store, but they offer considerable savings.
“We are a little store with so much more than actually meets the eye,” said Kim. “A variety store usually just has soda, newspapers, chips or whatever. We have a little bit of something for everyone.”
“You never know what I might come across to put out,” Mike added.
