LEWIS CENTER, Ohio — Painted Tree Boutiques has abruptly closed all of its locations nationwide, leaving hundreds of small business owners without a place to sell their products and forcing vendors to remove their inventory within days.
The company operated shared retail spaces where independent sellers rented booths to offer goods under one roof. At its Lewis Center location, vendors were told they had 10 days to clear out merchandise after receiving notice of the closure on April 14.
Painted Tree said in a statement that rising costs, shifting market conditions and changes in consumer shopping behavior contributed to the decision. The company has not provided additional public details about the shutdown.
For many vendors, the closure brought immediate financial strain. Jennifer Sanger, owner of Jamison & Bexley, said the space marked her first move from online sales into a physical storefront.
“I think of it like, little Jenny, like her dream finally came true and just put it back in bins and put it in a storage. it’s heartbreaking,” Sanger said.
She purchased inventory on credit, expecting to repay those costs through monthly sales at the store. With the location now closed, those expenses remain without the revenue she had anticipated.
She said she was worried about other vendors, especially those without online stores or other sales channels, and said they had lost everything.
Shared retail spaces have become a common entry point for small businesses seeking lower-cost access to in-person sales, said Steve Stivers, president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
“It really allows those small businesses without paying ongoing high rent costs to have access to consumers. It lets consumers get a variety of products in one place. They’re kind of the new version of the local market,” Stivers said.
Sanger said vendors operated under agreements that included monthly or yearly fees along with a percentage of sales. She said she does not expect to recover prepaid rent or security deposits tied to her booth.
Stivers said shared retail spaces can come with different business models.
“A lot of the leases in these are very short-term leases. So, you don’t have long term protections that you’re going to be in the same place for a long time,” Stivers said.
Sanger said the closure was both emotionally and financially difficult for her as a small business owner.
“It’s like you almost feel like you failed, but it’s not. I didn’t fail like they failed me,” Sanger said.
She said she plans to rebuild her business despite the setback.