Lansing, MI – A new round of Middle Village Micro Market merchants are setting up shop and will debut in the shared retail space located at 112 S. Washington Square in Downtown Lansing on Saturday, March 18 at 11:00 a.m. Middle Village Micro-Market, is a shopping experience that fosters local entrepreneurship. Each year the program invites local small businesses to open retail storefronts in the heart of Downtown Lansing, giving them the chance to test their concepts and perfect their products, all while growing their brand and customer base.

 

This one-stop retail store was first created by Downtown Lansing Inc. with the support of Lake Trust Credit Union. The program helps remove barriers to store ownership while creating strong, viable businesses that add local jobs and improve the local economy in a significant way.

 

As part of the program, each merchant attends the Small Business Learning Series, a monthly training series tailored to small business development. The Small Business Learning Series partners with Lake Trust Credit Union, The Capital Region Small Business Development Center, The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, Allen Neighborhood Center, and Lansing Regional Smart Zone to provide educational programming across industries.

 

2023 Middle Village Micro Market retailers include:

• Coco Bella Fashion Boutique

o Fashion focused on empowering women through their clothing choices.

• Ornamaloo o An artisan jewelry & vintage pottery boutique.

• The Goldmine: An Artist Umbrella Production

o An artist co-op, by the people for the people, featuring accessible local art for all.

• 2 Blondes & a Brush

o Home décor, gifts, and hand-painted furniture.

• Sylvia’s Sudsery

o Luxurious artisan soaps that make your bath a spa experience.

• Nubian Jewelry o Bringing Nubian culture and fashion to the people.

 

“Downtown Lansing Inc. is proud to support small businesses with a special focus on women and BIPOC-owned businesses and offer retail entrepreneurs a shared space to sell their products. We are excited to share that 100% of past Middle Village Micro Market graduates are still in business and 80% have opened permanent storefronts in the Lansing Region” states Julie Reinhardt, Director of Downtown Community Development. Middle Village Micro Market is proudly powered by Lake Trust and located at 112 S. Washington Sq. in Downtown Lansing. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday, 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.