Purple Aardvark

We are a small gift boutique located in our own hometown of Chatham. We opened in November 2016 with a goal that hasn’t changed, provide excellent service and offer unique made in America gifts. We have over 50 crafters/artisans providing us with their creative wares. The shopping experience is never the same, each day we receive new inventory.

The owners are both women who bring something different to the table. Sandy Casey, is a life-long Chathamite, who is an accomplished jeweler. She can create and repair most jewelry. If you have a vision she can make it a reality. Carolyn Cherry, a 30 year Chatham resident, met Sandy years ago and they immediately hit it off. Carolyn spent years as Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and ran the Fishawack Festival. When the Chamber dissolved, Carolyn wanted to use those contacts and skills in a new way. Her original thought of giving the crafters she met through Fishawack a venue to showcase their talents all year long has become a reality.

Shopping at Purple Aardvark is a fun experience, often accompanied by a foster dog or two. Carolyn and Sandy both foster dogs for It’s a Ruff Life Rescue and bring the dogs to the store many days. This is a great socialization opportunity for the dogs and a perfect teaching situation for, customers, kids and adults alike. The merits of adoption and fostering are often discussed. Just one example of how Purple Aardvark is not your ordinary shopping experience.

During the quarantine, we were forced to change our standard operating procedures and created a web store, allowing our customers the shopping experience from the comfort of their own homes.