Shoppy shop

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Shoppy shop, also known as a boutique grocer, artisanal market or curated mini-mart are small, often independent retail stores that offer unique upscale gourmet foods that are often prepackaged and locally sourced.{{cite news |last1=DeLuca |first1=Stephanie |title=Your guide to the ‘shoppy shops’ of the Hudson Valley: You know it when you see it, and by 'it' we mean Graza olive oil |url=https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/food/article/shoppy-shops-boutique-groceries-hudson-valley-17770068.php |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=Times Union |date=Feb 8, 2023}} These fancy pantry foods often feature colorful branded packaging and have aggressive social media advertising campaigns.

Compared to traditional retail stores, they offer an alternative shopping experience through a distinctive atmosphere and contribute to the local vibe. Shoppy shops tend to emphasize quality, sustainability, and artisanal small businesses and other hard-to-find or exclusive items that may be gifted.{{cite news |last1=Palmer |first1=Karen |title=The Calif. neighborhood grocery stores that could replace Trader Joe's |url=https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/independent-los-angeles-supermarkets-la-grocery-19506994.php |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=SF Gate |date=June 14, 2024}}

Shoppy shops commodify authenticity by emphasizing their small boutique nature as a brand strategy and provide startups a physical retail outlet.{{cite news |title=The CQ: The Rise of the "Shoppy Shop," powered by Faire |url=https://forerunnerventures.substack.com/p/the-cq-the-rise-of-the-shoppy-shop |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=The CQ |date=28 January 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Hawkins |first1=Nick |title=For Startup Food Brands, a Pit Stop at a Shoppy Shop Can Be Their Ticket to Whole Foods, Walmart, and BeyondThe micro-grocery concept is positioning itself as a precursor to the big time, but you'll still need to prove you can build buzz. |url=https://www.inc.com/nick-hawkins/for-startup-food-brands-a-pitstop-at-pop-up-grocer-can-be-their-ticket-to-whole-foods-walmart-beyond.html |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=Inc. |date=Aug 17, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Steffenhagen |first1=Mary |last2=Harris-Perry |first2=Melissa |title=Your Favorite Small Business Might Not Be So Small - The Takeaway |url=https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/venture-capital-small |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=WNYC Studios |date=February 24, 2023 |language=en}} In response to Shoppy shop marketing, some private labels have begun rebranding to better match their counterparts.{{cite news |last1=Schwarz |first1=Hunter |title=CVS, Walmart, and the rise of private labels as shoppy shop dupes |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91132792/cvs-walmart-and-the-rise-of-private-labels-as-shoppy-shop-dupes |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=Fast Company |date=May 31, 2024}}

The term was coined in 2022 by Neil Shankar on TikTok under the username "Tall Neil" and popularized by New York magazine's Grub Street in response to boutiques selling artisanal foods such as olive oil and tinned fish.{{cite news |last1=Lindsay |first1=Kate |title=Trendspotting with Tall Neil of ‘shoppy shop’ fame |url=https://embedded.substack.com/p/trendspotting-with-tall-neil-shankar-shoppy-shop |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=Embedded |date=15 March 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Sundberg |first1=Emily |title=Welcome to the Shoppy Shop |url=https://www.grubstreet.com/2023/01/why-every-shoppy-shop-looks-exactly-the-same.html |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=Grub Street |publisher=New York |date=25 January 2023 |language=en}} Shankar described these retail outlets as "a place where you can touch all the products you see on Instagram."