Marjorie's Owner Closes Shop, Banks on New Career

Ask about the past 18 years at Mill Village, and "Midge" will tell you about the loyal customers she plans on keeping in touch with.

Unfortunately, the number of those customers hasn't grown enough to allow her to keep open Marjorie's, a stunning gift store with inspiring displays of home goods.

A sign on the front window reads: Thank you Sudbury for 18 years. Marjorie Dey is locking her doors for good later this month and will be open only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until her lease is up.

She is closed this week but plans to reopen July 9.

After Midge locks up for good, she'll focus on a new wholesale are business she created at her Cape Cod home.

"I didn’t want to continue and sign another lease," she said. "I didn’t want to sell the business because my name is wrapped around it. My website will continue. I'm fine-tuning what my retail experience is."

A few years back, Midge began collecting shells while walking the beaches of Cape Cod and turned them into art pieces of Cape Cod and Nantucket.

A local Cape business, Nantucket Looms, wanted her artwork and has been buying from her for the past seven years.

"Now I’m in wholesale," the 65-year-old entrepreneur said. "But I have no time running the retail stores. This has taken off, but I can’t do anything while I’m here doing this.

"Few people support local businesses. But the Cape supports local businesses. I have fabulous customers who support me (in Sudbury), but this is a huge community."

One her customers agreed the town doesn't support local businesses and it's why Marjorie's is closing. 

"The new residents don’t support the local businesses. All these fun, little independent stores are all gone," said Arlene Leisman, a longtime resident.

Midge said is seems that Sudbury is filling with banks over other businesses and read a poem she wrote of her observation:

To drive through Sudbury on historic Route 20,

You'd think that this place has plenty of money.

'Cause in the beautiful New England town,

There are eight banks to go around!

No matter where you go to look and see,

A bank branch is there to collect your fee.

The government has helped them and given them the dough

But people see banks as the last place to go ...

Most people think of banks and groan,

For no bank is forthcoming in giving a loan.

Their ads, their calls, the emails that we trash,

Offer many deals, but all we want is cash!

Sudbury is losing businesses but banks are still alive,

As everyone notices when on the road they drive.

Talk circles around how all of this can be,

That one town seems to support the whole banking industry!

When asked what made Marjorie's so special, Leisman said it was Midge's ability to know her customers. 

"She’s a remarkable woman," she said.