Philadelphia Independents, the Old City boutique built around handmade goods from local makers, will close for good at the end of 2026 after more than 12 years in business. The shop at 35 N. 3rd St. plans to stay open through Dec. 24, 2026, or shut its doors sooner if its remaining inventory sells out first.
The closure was announced by the store's three co-founders, Tiffica Benza, Ashley Peel and Jennifer Provost, according to Billy Penn at WHYY. The trio wrote that they loved their Old City location, their neighbors, their customers and the makers who filled the shop's shelves, and they plan to explore other creative opportunities once they leave the store for the last time.
Philadelphia Independents has operated as both a brick-and-mortar shop on North 3rd Street and an online store, according to the shop's own website, which describes it as a boutique that features only handmade items from local makers. Inventory there has included jewelry, artwork, candles, home decor, baby gifts, accessories and greeting cards, alongside items like baby onesies, scented candles and pretzel earrings tied to the seed reporting on the closure.
A Door Shoppers Never Forgot
Longtime visitors to the store may remember it as much for its entrance as for what was sold inside. The shop's front door is painted white on the outside and a color described as “whipped strawberry” on the inside, and Peel said people regularly commented on both the door's size and the store's pleasant smell, per the same Billy Penn account.
Peel also said the store had witnessed Philadelphia's independent artist scene grow over the years and had helped makers develop their careers, the station's report notes. She added that the business was profitable throughout its roughly 12-and-a-half years in operation, a detail that underscores how the closure comes even as the shop remained financially sound.
How Many Makers Called It Home
Just how many artists and vendors passed through Philadelphia Independents' racks depends on which account you consult, and the numbers have shifted over the years. When the shop opened in May 2014, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported a vendor list of more than 30, describing a shop that exclusively carried handmade items made by local artists and artisans at its address at 35 N. 3rd St. in Old City.
By 2019, Grid Magazine described a shop carrying work from more than 50 artists and artisans in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties, while describing the store as selling only items made by Philadelphia artists. Two years later, Billy Penn reported merchandise crafted by about 60 different vendors based across the five-county region, a somewhat broader geographic framing than Grid's account. A low-confidence December 2025 snippet from 6abc Philadelphia described more than 50 local makers inside the Old City store, though the seed reporting on this closure cites the figure as more than 50 Philadelphia makers overall. These counts come from different articles across different years and may reflect different definitions of who counts as a local maker, so they shouldn't be read as directly comparable totals.
Where To Find Local Makers Next
For shoppers hoping to keep supporting small, local makers after Philadelphia Independents shuts its doors, Peel pointed to another option on the horizon. She encouraged people seeking small and local shopping to check out craft markets happening in spring 2027, according to the original reporting on the closure.
The shop's final months will likely draw a wave of regulars making one last stop before the holidays, given the store's plan to remain open through Dec. 24 or until its shelves empty out, whichever comes first. For now, the whipped-strawberry door at 35 N. 3rd St. remains open for business, even as its founders prepare to turn the page after more than a decade in Old City.
