ATLANTA – Beehive Co-op, Atlanta’s original retail collective, is excited to celebrate its five year anniversary in Atlanta by hosting an anniversary party on November 7 from 7-10 pm at the original location (1831A Peachtree Rd at Collier Rd). Founded in 2004 by Petra Geiger, the innovative concept which extended the “buy local” concept to handmade, one-of-a-kind products from local, independent designers has been embraced by the Atlanta community from day one and continues to be a flagship Atlanta business.

Frustrated at the lack of viable retail opportunities for emerging artisans, Geiger created a beautiful, modern, dynamic cohesive retail space for their handcrafted pieces, and in the process gives the community a desirable alternative to mass-produced goods. “Everyone benefits,” says Geiger. “The designers get a viable and elegant space to merchandise and market their wares, as well as a supportive community that helps them incubate their business, and customers get fantastic handmade merchandise at really reasonable price points.”

The designers, many who have been at Beehive since its inception, take ownership of the space and in the process gain valuable insight into the retail business and that has made them resilient to the ups and downs of the turbulent market. “We feel encouraged that there are more customers than ever that are skipping the mall and looking to support local business and seek out products with meaning and substance,” says Geiger.

Since the launch, Beehive Atlanta developed a robust line of sewing and crafting classes which is currently operated by WhipStitch and continues to open the boutique to private events and fundraising groups. Geiger opened another Beehive location in a suburb of New York City, has launched a robust online store www.beehiveshop.com, and is working to extend the concept in other U.S. cities through a franchise offering launched in 2007. Geiger seeks nothing short of revolutionizing the retail marketplace to make it more interesting, dynamic, and community based in a conceptual package that is scalable across the nation and maybe even the world!

For more information on Beehive Co-op, visit www.beehiveco-op.com