MINNEAPOLIS (April 2, 2019) — The mpls downtown council announced today the launch of
Chameleon Shoppes, a Chameleon Consortium pop-up retail initiative based out of Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan. Chameleon Consortium’s work focuses on the experiential and economic vitality of downtown Minneapolis. Its purpose is to create vibrant downtown experiences by transforming empty retail spaces into equity opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses.
Chameleon Shoppes provides unique, interesting and dynamic shopping experiences for downtown workers, residents and visitors, including food, snacks, sauces, candles, soaps, art, woodworking, jewelry, apparel, pet accessories, spices and more.
Chameleon Shoppes launched April 1 on the ground and skyway levels of Gaviidae Common (651 Nicollet) and runs Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am-2 pm through April 26 with special hours and times on April 1-8:
• April 1-5: 10 am-2 pm
• April 6-7: 12 pm-4 pm
• April 8: 10 am-2 pm
• April 10-12: 10 am-2 pm
• April 17-19: 10 am-2 pm
• April 24-26: 10 am-2 pm
“The mpls downtown council is focused on and committed to enhancing our retail scene along
Nicollet from 5th to 10th streets,” said Steve Cramer, president & ceo of the mpls downtown council. “With our growing residential population and dynamic downtown workforce, we are focused on not only enhancing retail in our city’s core but also offering pathways for local business to gain exposure and thrive.”
Chameleon Consortium relied on several organizations throughout this initiative: Neka Creative
(anchor brand partner), Impact Hub MSP (administrative partner) and Shop Northside, a program of the West Broadway Business & Area Coalition, to help bring local, dynamic retail to the downtown core.
“Chameleon Shoppes is about incubating small business and offering a chance for local makers to gain new exposure,” said Dan Collison, director of downtown partnerships at the mpls downtown council. “Our mission is to revitalize downtown space with incredible offerings while helping these local businesses thrive.”
A collection of retailers taking part in April’s pop-up at Gaviidae Common include:
Adorn By Kella
Ancient Indian Spices
Angela Davis Art
Black Excellence
Body Love Products
Bowtie Billionaire
Cald2Art
Charles Caldwell
Christstyle’s Closet
Coffee and Crumbs
Cuddle Mutt
Dancing Bear
Excelsior Candle
Femelle Spirit
Hagen and Oats
Hair Love
Healthy Helpful Insight
Hip-Pop
Hippy Feet
Homegrown Company
Honey’s
House of Talents
Junita’s Jar
Just Hair USA
L.I.F.E
Lady Staxx Acessories
MEND
Nature’s Syrup
Northern Thread
PERK
Reparation Apparel
Salty Tart
Sebesta Apothecary
Siena Soap Company
Tashonda (Makeup)
The Black Threadist
The Cat Lab
ThisFem
Tiangy
Tina Dionne Jewelry
Triple Crown MPLS
Twiggy Fresh
Up Your Image
Vintage Poole Boy
We Wanna Rock
West Indies Soul Food
Wonderous Crane
Chameleon Shoppes will hold a media event on April 11 at 12 pm to highlight the retailers and
showcase the activated space.
To learn more about Chameleon Shoppes, including location, activities and more, visit
www.chameleonshoppes.com.
For more information, follow @mplsdowntown on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the
hashtags #mplsdowntown and #mymplsdt.
About the mpls downtown council:
Founded in 1955, and one of the most historic central business associations in the nation, the mpls downtown council (mdc) is a membership-based entity that works to create an extraordinary downtown. The mdc’s collaborative developments of Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan was designed to help downtown businesses, community leaders and citizens build on downtown assets and implement future goals. For more information, please visit mplsdowntown.com.
About Chameleon Consortium:
The Chameleon Consortium is a private-public group dedicated to the experiential and economic vitality of downtown Minneapolis. Its purpose is to create vibrant downtown experiences by transforming empty retail spaces into equity opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses. Chameleon Shoppes is a pop-up retail initiative on the ground and skyway levels of Gaviidae Common in downtown Minneapolis that will feature 50 retailers beginning April 1 and running Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am-2 pm through April 26. For more information, visit www.chameleonshoppes.com.
https://www.chameleonconsortium.com/shopping-spree/
