Beyond necessity

By Story and photos by Erin Nicholes - 11/29/2008

Beyond Necessity co-owner Amy Dodd wraps a gift in the shop recently. The store, which recently expanded, keeps busy during the holiday season.

ANACONDA — Behind an inviting storefront, whimsical ornaments dangle from classic Christmas trees and plush stockings hang on antique mantles.

Declines and cutbacks may be dominating economic headlines these days, but it's a different story at Beyond Necessity Gifts, 301 E. Park Ave., Anaconda.

The 20-year-old gift and home-decor shop recently expanded, doubling its retail space in time for the Christmas shopping season.

"We were able to fill it quite fully," co-owner Amy Dodd said of the new room, which is brimming with holiday merchandise.

"It's a rental space, but depending on what's happening with the community and our economy, we might occupy it long term." The shop has grown to fill the space next door to its existing location in the Davidson Building in downtown Anaconda.

The room was last occupied by the Gateway Gallery, which closed this fall.

"With Christmas coming, we thought, ‘That will give good exposure to that space,'" Dodd said of using the room to display holiday merchandise.

The expansion is another milestone for Beyond Necessity, which began in 1989 as a small-scale project between two friends after a shopping trip to Spokane.

"We thought, ‘We could do a little tiny shop,'" Dodd said of she and business partner Mary Pat Clark.

"We thought, ‘Wouldn't it be fun to be professional shoppers?'" The shop originally opened in tight quarters in the Copper Village Museum and Arts Center before moving to the Davidson Building.

Through economic ups and downs, the store has thrived — a result, the owners said, of evolving to meet customer needs and a dedication to personal service.

"Our customers really become our friends; that's why they come back," Clark said.

The recent expansion allows Beyond Necessity more space to expand its wares, and will give customers more elbow room to peruse items from wall art and handbags to clocks and curio cabinets.

Customers "are loving it," saidemployee Jackie Cerise. "It's nice to have more room to display our items." For now, the expanded space is a Christmas store, adorned with stockings, ornaments, angels and holiday art.

Although the economy will dictate how long Beyond Necessity occupies the expanded space, owners are optimistic.

"We have ordered outdoor furniture and more spring and summer things," Dodd said. "We're really looking for more unique things. We know our customers so well, we're able to do our purchasing with them in mind." Beyond Necessity has also expanded into the virtual shopping world. It has a new Web site, www.beyond1989.com, through which customers can purchase online.

The phone number is 563-3218; the shop open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On the Net: Beyond Necessity Gifts: www.beyond1989.com Reporter Erin Nicholes may be reached at erin.nicholes@lee.net.