The owners of appeThaizing have ventured into the world of retail and opened an accessory boutique in Marshall Square Mall.

Thaliea, an accessory store, opened Jan. 12 in a space last occupied by Rhododendron, a retail boutique. The store is currently running a sweepstakes for $130 worth of gift cards. The sweepstakes will end Feb. 1.

The store specializes in purses, bags and jewelry. Many items in the store are handmade, making them one-of-a-kind pieces.

The co-owners of Thaliea, Panya Chittaratlert and his wife Karanya Aksornkoae, are no strangers to business in Syracuse. The couple graduated from Syracuse University in 1998 with master’s degrees in advertising design. Chittaratlert’s first entrepreneurial venture with his wife was in 2006, when the couple opened appeThaizing, a Thai restaurant below Chuck’s Café, on South Crouse Avenue.

Chittaratlert said he hopes Thaliea can become a well-known presence in the Syracuse community.   

Chittaratlert said he wanted to open an accessory store because his wife and sister-in-law love fashion and accessories, and they thought it would be the perfect business for them to go into.

‘When an opportunity shows up, we love a challenge to build a brand for our own business,’ he said. ‘And it’s actually a fun process to create a brand as well as marketing materials for Thaliea with all the freedom we have.’

The couple did everything by themselves, from renovating the space and working on the interior design to doing their own product photography. When coming up with the store name, Chittaratlert asked his appeThaizing staff members for suggestions. Their final decision was to name the store Thaliea, after a Greek muse who embodies beauty and charm.

Caitlin Quigley, a freshman English and textual studies major, said she is excited about Thaliea’s gift-card promotion contest. Interested competitors can venture onto Thaliea’s Facebook page and ‘like’ it to get involved.

‘I hope I win one of the gift certificates,’ Quigley said.  ‘I already know what I would buy.’

Chittaratlert said he wanted a store in Marshall Square Mall because of its location and because Rhododendron had great success there last semester after moving from across Marshall Street.

‘There are a lot of potential customers who live within walking distance of Thaliea and can come to Marshall Square Mall instead of having to go to Carousel Mall or downtown to buy accessories,’ Chittaratlert said.

Although Chittaratlert admitted not many people know about the store, he said they continue to receive great feedback and returning customers.

‘Most of our costumers compliment how nice our store looks and all agree that we offer very unique products, and most importantly they are glad we are here,’ he said.

When asked about Thaliea, some students had not heard of it but were interested in browsing the shop. One such student, Erica Clapp, a freshman economics and Spanish dual major, said she would be interested in browsing the store.

‘I’ve never heard of it,’ Clapp said.’ But I will definitely check it out. I could always use another place to shop.’

However, not everyone was as positive about the new store. Melissa Pico, an undecided freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, was worried about the store’s general price range.

‘I’ve seen the store,’ Pico said. ‘It looks expensive, and since I pay so much money for my books, I don’t know if I’ll go shopping for a while.’

Despite the expense, Quigley said she values Thaliea’s style. ‘The accessories were very flashy and very my style. I plan on going back soon and buying something,’ she said.

Thaliea will be having a special promotion for Valentines’ Day, so customers should keep checking the website for more details, Chittaratlert said.

Chittaratlert said he is receptive to comments and appreciates feedback about his new store.

He said: ‘When people say nice words on how the store or design looks, it’s highly rewarding.’

jedorsen@syr.edu

Published on January 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm