Flower power: Business blossoms for Waterville florist after downtown move
Photo / Sabrina Jandreau
The Robin's Nest employs six people, with another six that come in to work on holidays such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Christmas.
The Robin's Nest is a beehive of activity in Waterville — and even more so since the florist relocated to a bigger downtown space at 173 Main St. earlier this year.
Floral designer Robin Samalus-Getchell founded the business in 2018 and now employs six people, with another six who come in to work on holidays, including Christmas and Valentine's Day. Weddings are also a big part of its newfound success.
"2022 sales should come in about 93% higher than our 2021 sales, and this is primarily due to our new and much more visible location," Samalus-Getchell told Mainebiz.
Initially based at the Hathaway Creative Center at 10 Water St., the Robin's Nest moved to its new home in February. The store is in the same building as Portland Pie Co., technology firm CGI Group and Colby College offices.
Samalus-Getchell said the store has settled in nicely to the new space and offers in-store design classes, in collaboration with a local adult education provider, that have become very popular. More classes are planned for March.
Other plans for 2023 include selecting a local nonprofit to donate proceeds of all sales of a special floral arrangement once a month and expanding a weekly subscription program for business customers.
Samalus-Getchell said she also looking at the possibility of launching a "mobile" flower shop, using a van she recently purchased to offer wrapped flowers to customers on the go, "similar to a food truck but for flowers," she said.
The Robin's Nest is one of 17 new local businesses that launched in recent years, Garvan Donegan of Central Maine Growth Council told Mainebiz, as downtown Waterville has seen around $200 million invested over the past few years.
"The Robin's Net has continued to add vibrancy to Main Street in Waterville, and Robin's creativity and eye for design have positioned the business to flourish in the heart of downtown," he said in a Dec. 22 news release. "Small businesses are the backbone of Waterville's Main Street, and the Robin's Nest will continue to provide quality goods to central Maine for years to come."
Donegan was honored on the Mainebiz Next list in 2021.
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