Promenade Shops' upswing continues with newest retail tenant, opening Saturday

UPPER SAUCON TWP., Pa. - Following a string of new store openings, another retailer is ready to bloom at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.

FD Market, a sustainable goods shop and zero-waste refillery that debuted in December 2019, is planning to open Saturday, June 3, between OshKosh B'gosh and Lens Crafters at the Upper Saucon Township shopping center, according to a post on the business' social media pages.

The store will operate 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration will be held at 9:30 a.m. June 10.

"We have been working so hard on this space and we can not wait to share it with all of you," the post reads.

FD Market, a sustainable goods shop and zero-waste refillery that debuted in December 2019, is planning to open Saturday, June 3, at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township. The business also operates a store in downtown Easton along with a mobile market that frequents regional farmers markets.

In April, FD Market founder Jacquelyn Bassett announced plans to close the business' original location at 348 Main St. in Emmaus' triangle and open a new location at The Promenade Shops. The Emmaus location closed in late April.

"This [Promenade Shops] location will make us a lot more accessible to our current customer base, and give us so much room to grow!" Bassett wrote. "The space is double the size of our current stores, so we can expand our product offerings and workshops. There is tons of parking, and we are thrilled to be surrounded by other businesses that are open all week long."

"Bringing our business model to a more mainstream shopping center feels like a huge step for not only my little business baby, but the refill movement as a whole."

Bassett, a 2018 graduate of Emmaus High School, started FD Market 3.5 years ago with a mission to help the environment.

She opened a second brick-and-mortar location of FD Market in 2022 at 158 Northampton St. in downtown Easton, which continues to operate.

Stores offer a wide array of eco-friendly products, including beauty, skin care and hair care items such as bamboo multi-use brushes, plant-based bath poufs, reusable facial rounds, body and face scrubs, lotion bars, bath bombs, shampoo, conditioner, muscle balm, eye cream, face masks and moisturizer.

Customers also can shop household items and cleaning products such as biodegradable eco-sponges, Swedish dish cloths, UNpaper towels, compostable soap dishes, beeswax candles, organic string bags, laundry detergent sheets, dish and vegetables brushes, counter composters and reusable coffee filters and straws.

Zero-waste refills of various products, including body wash, hand soap, laundry powder and carpet freshener, are a popular aspect of the business.

Unforeseen circumstances arose earlier this year that forced Bassett to "reevaluate some things," and she decided that FD Market's time in Emmaus would come to an end.

"We have goals that we just can't reach in Emmaus," Bassett wrote. "While we’ve found our people here (likely you if you’re reading this) the community as a whole here is not as forward thinking as we are. We’ve been frustrated here for a few years, and have fought like hell to try to find our place in this community. The truth is, we can't grow here."

In addition to the Easton and Upper Saucon stores, customers also can shop FD Market at various farmers markets.

FD Market appears at the Easton Farmers Market (every other Saturday), Doylestown Farmers Market (every other Saturday) and Saucon Valley Farmers Market (every Sunday).

The Promenade Shops is on the upswing in recent months, with three new tenants joining its roster:

First, Handmade Mystic - Healing Crystals & Jewelry, selling healing crystals, hand-crafted jewelry and more, held a grand opening of its third location in early March.

The 1,950-square-foot store, between Hand & Stone and J. Jill, supplements Handmade Mystic's other locations in Emmaus and Doylestown.

atch Microcreamery, offering super premium, hand-crafted ice cream and other chilled treats such as floats, milkshakes and sundaes, held a grand opening March 25 and 26 at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township.

Second, Batch Microcreamery, offering super premium, hand-crafted ice cream and other chilled treats such as floats, milkshakes and sundaes, held a grand opening March 25 and 26 in a renovated space that previously housed other ice cream shops, including Maggie Moo's Ice Cream & Treatery and Center Valley Creamery.

Third, Love Obsessed, a trendy boutique offering women's clothing, jewelry, accessories and unique gift items, opened April 8 near Altar'd State.

The business also operates a warehouse location at 110 S. Front St. in Souderton.

Additionally, The Promenade Shops is set to welcome another tenant near the end of the year.

Turning Point, an award-winning breakfast, lunch and brunch restaurant chain with more than 20 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2023 at the Upper Saucon Township shopping center.

The 4,449-square-foot restaurant will be located near UBreakIFix and Playa Bowls at the open-air center, 2845 Center Valley Parkway.

The Promenade Shops, which debuted in 2006 with more than 70 tenants, now has around 16 vacant storefronts.

Businesses that have recently left the shopping center include All Weather Selvedge Denim Co. and Evolve Salon & Spa, while other new additions include ELITE Salons & Suites and Squishable.

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