Stella Delap, owner of Basket Kreations Gift Shoppe in
Downtown Plymouth has seen a lot of ups and downs over the last 21 years. Since
starting the business out of her basement, she has survived a recession, a collapsed
roof, relocation, and now a streetscape construction project but she stays
inspired by the happiness her gifts and gift baskets bring to their recipients.
“People said I was crazy,” she said “In 1989 times were not
good. I had left my professional job years before to have my two boys. They
were getting older and I wanted to do something more, but I also wanted the flexibility
to be there for them when they needed me. Finding a happy medium between work
and home when your kids are little is not easy. I didn’t know where I could
find a job like that so I decided to create my own.”
She heard about the idea of baskets while researching ideas in
Entrepreneur magazine.
“It reminded me of when I was younger,” Delap said “Watching
my mom create these fabulous baskets for people. She would give them as gifts
to family and friends and sometimes make things up for people in need. She took
time with them and made every little detail so beautiful.”
“The look on a person’s face when they opened those lovely baskets
full of goodies--you could see she had made a difference to that person with
her gift. She could make a person’s day with a basket! She passed away in 1983,
a few years before I opened the business.”
Delap originally set up shop in her basement and hosted home
parties.
“It seems so simple to tell it now but looking back 21
years,” she said “I would get the kids off to school and build baskets, then
build some more after I tucked them into bed. Sometimes the kids would even
help. When times got busy I would hire all of the mothers in school to
coordinate deliveries. The way it all worked it’s hard to believe.”
By Christmastime the baskets had taken over her garage and the
whole house was overflowing. She decided to open her first storefront in Canton
Township at Joy Road & Lilley
in Golden Gate Plaza
with Bob’s of Canton.
Then in January 1999, she was on a buying trip in Atlanta
when her husband called to tell her that there had been a major snowstorm, the roof
collapsed on the shopping center and all of the stores were condemned.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said “I immediately began
looking for a new location. I contacted my current landlord who was wonderful
getting me into this space right away. We opened here on Forest
Ave in February 1999.”
“Little did I know at the time that what appeared to be a
tragedy was really a blessing in disguise,” Delap said, “I attribute a portion
of my lasting success to finding this location in Downtown Plymouth. The
Chamber of Commerce, the DDA, the other merchants and all of the events that
bring people make it a great environment to do business.”
