Who We Are
The Winter Shops program was an initiative born out of The Anchor Society, a local East Hampton nonprofit dedicated to promoting commerce that serves the community.
In 2026, the committee that developed the concept for Winter Shops formally separated from The Anchor Society to exclusively manage the program going forward through a new non-profit organization.
The new non-profit is called Winter Shops Alliance, pursuing a broader community development mission while continuing to steward the signature Winter Shops initiative.
The goal of the Winter Shops program is to solve a local problem. More than 40% of stores close in East Hampton Village when the weather gets cold. But it doesn’t have to be this way!
We aim to use the program to revitalize the village during the off-season by filling empty or underutilized storefronts with local and independent small business pop-ups.
The Winter Shops 2026 program is pleased to welcome back Kathryn Reid of SewHampton as a returning local entrepreneur into a dedicated store @ 79 Main St for upcoming season. SewHampton offers private or group sewing classes and basic alterations.
NEW for this upcoming season, SewHampton will also offer an expanded range of specialty instruction through “fiber arts” learning workshops, including crochet, needlepoint and weaving.
Thank you to Alice+Olivia for hosting SewHampton!
How It Works
Candidates were selected to match best with the qualitative research feedback we received from residents on what kinds of interesting goods, food, and services they were seeking in the village.
Both the master leaseholder and these entrepreneurs are matched by the Winter Shop team. Mutual benefits for all:
Master leaseholder supports our community development while closed during offseason and receives rent/utilities payment
Entrepreneurs receives reduced rents, prestigious village storefronts and opportunity to launch and/or grow their small businesses
The town is revitalized with interesting, new village offerings, increasing foot traffic during the slower season and providing opportunities to connect with neighbors
Interested in being a Winter Shops tenant?
If you are a small business entrepreneur looking to participate, learn more by clicking on APPLY button below or inquire via email to speak with someone from our team.
Interested in being paid to host a Winter Shop?
If you are a landlord or master tenant in East Hampton Village, please learn more by clicking on HOST button below or reach out to our team directly via email to speak about our roster of vetted small business tenants.