sursy: “an inexpensive but unexpected gift.”
It all starts with an idea, but for Anna Marie Howell and Erin Pittman it started with a friendship. So becoming business partners for the new online shopping boutique, Sursy only seemed like the logical next step. Let’s go ahead and meet the ladies behind the Greenville based online shopping experience of… Sursy.
360: Walk us through how the Sursy idea came to life?
Sursy: We both love to entertain and give thoughtful and stylish gifts, and we are always in search of unique finds. We sought out any pop up shop event that came to town to see what new artisans we could discover. Finally, the light bulb moment occurred – what if we could have a permanent, online pop up to house all of our favorite vendors? And being busy moms ourselves, we wanted to make it even more convenient by offering complimentary gift packaging for anyone needing an all-inclusive gift experience. A year of brainstorms and discussions later, we decided to make it happen.
360: Tell us the story about how you both met? Do you remember the first interaction?
Anna Marie: We might have different tales of our first interaction but I feel like I forced Erin to be my friend (haha). We ended up sitting next to each other in Marketing at a company in Greenville. When Erin finally realized I wasn’t too crazy, we became the best of friends.
Erin: We met in Marketing at a distributor here in Greenville. Coming from a 9 year background in Accounting and Finance, I was completely intimidated by Anna Marie (and the rest of the department). After a few days we realize how much we had in common – tastes in food, music and style, both from Greenville – and we quickly became friends!
360: How do you decide on the products/vendors you offer?
Sursy: We initially picked our personal favorite vendors that we followed at pop ups, social media and Etsy. Then, we discussed various product categories that we would love to see: ceramics, pretty paper goods and bath and body products, to name a few. We are continuously scouting new talent through these avenues and adding new products to Sursy on a regular basis.
360: Here’s a stereotypical question. Where do you see Sursy in 5 years?
Sursy: We would love to own a retail location in the heart of Greenville.
360: Last question. What do you love most about Greenville? Go!
Anna Marie: Just one thing? That’s a tough one! Being an artist and musician, I would have to say the growing creative community and appreciation of the arts.
Erin: I adore this growing community of entrepreneurs in Greenville. There is so much support surrounding us all and great resources for products. In fact, we are overjoyed that many of our vendors are based right here in Greenville!
The next Sursy event will be their Spring Pop Up and will take place this Friday, May 5 from 4-9pm at Notch Salon in the heart of Downtown Greer (105 N Main Street to be exact.) They’ll be offering a Happy Hour Special of 10% off your purchase from 4-6pm with complimentary food and drinks while you shop. So go ahead meet Anna Marie & Erin, shop from a unique selection of handcrafted gifts that include jewelry, bath & body, home goods, cards and more. Happy shopping!
You can also follow Sursy’s daily adventures via Instagram and Facebook. #shopsursy
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