Who We Are
The Winter Shops program is an initiative that was born out of The Anchor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to foster commerce that serves community.
The goal of this idea 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 2025 program has significantly expanded its presence from a single pop-up store to four new business entrepreneurs taking up temporary residence in East Hampton Village during the upcoming off-season.
Thank you Gathering Marketplace for hosting!
This space at Gathering Marketplace – a new community retail concept store launched in June 2025 featuring local and independent entrepreneurs – will now include two new Winter Shops nested inside the store.
Vendors included from November 1, 2025 through April 31, 2026 will include:
Hedges Lane, a collection of homewares, tabletop and seasonal party goods curated by an Amagansett interior designer Maggie Sheehan
Naturally Good, healthy grab-and-go foods, from Montauk, which can be enjoyed onsite at Gathering Marketplace’s sunny community table seating area
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.