PROVIDENCE — Three empty storefronts on the first floor of Providence Place have been repurposed into a curated retail installation intended to lift local commerce and provide entrepreneurs with on-the-ground retail experience, organizers said.
From vacant to vibrant
The project, billed as the Rhode Island Small Business Village, occupies space surrounding the mall’s Apple store and hosts roughly 50 local vendors selling accessories, clothing and beauty products. Organizers and vendors say the installation is an experimental—yet practical—response to rising vacancies in shopping centers across the state.
Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, the nonprofit that arranged the retail project, has a track record of offering scholarships, training and other supports through its broader Rhode Island Small Business Hub. The mall space represents its latest effort to convert unused retail real estate into opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
“The Small Business Village has been everything we hoped it would be and more,” said Nina Pande, founding executive director of SkillsRI.
Tania Estrada, who initially worked on the Providence Place storefront designs for SkillsRI and now manages the Village, said shoppers have responded strongly to the boutique-like arrangement and mix of vendors.
“There’s been love across all the different areas,” Estrada said. “I think people gravitate towards this.” She oversees three adjacent spaces: one emphasizing jewelry and accessories, another focused on beauty and wellness, and a third that blends clothing, trinkets and food items.
Opportunities for first storefronts
For some vendors, the Providence Place installation is their first experience operating a physical location. Zainabou Thiam, a Woonsocket native and Babson College student who runs Sunu Body, said the chance to sell in a downtown mall provided visibility and customer interaction that online-only sales do not replicate.
“People love H&M and Macy’s, but those are overdone,” Thiam said. “Shopping local is more personal. It feels better.”
- Number of vendors: ~50 local artisans and entrepreneurs
- Location: Three storefronts on the first level near the Apple store at Providence Place
- Product focus: Jewelry and accessories; beauty and wellness; clothing, trinkets and food
What the Village changes for Providence
Organizers say the initiative accomplishes several local goals without requiring long-term leases: it activates empty mall space, gives small businesses an affordable path to retail operations, and creates a destination that could draw different shoppers into downtown Providence. Those outcomes carry implications for foot traffic patterns, nearby eateries and other retailers that rely on mall visitors.
SkillsRI’s broader services and the Small Business Hub have previously focused on training and support. By layering short-term retail space into that ecosystem, the organization aims to create a pipeline: entrepreneurs can gain in-person retail experience and potentially use it as a steppingstone to other permanent locations in Providence and beyond.
| Storefront | Primary Focus | Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Space A | Jewelry & accessories | Tania Estrada |
| Space B | Beauty & wellness | Tania Estrada |
| Space C | Clothing, trinkets & treats | Tania Estrada |
While organizers described early signs as encouraging, the long-term impact on Providence Place’s vacancy rate and the broader downtown retail landscape will depend on sustained traffic, vendor sales performance and whether similar pop-up or incubation models are adopted more widely across the city.
For now, the Small Business Village offers a new retail option for Providence shoppers and practical exposure for Rhode Island entrepreneurs seeking to transition from online storefronts or markets into fixed-location retail. SkillsRI and the vendors involved say the project reflects a growing emphasis on local products and community-centered retail experiences.
Providence shoppers interested in visiting the Small Business Village can find it on the first level of Providence Place near the Apple store; organizers said the space was intended to showcase the creativity and pride of Rhode Island small businesses.
Reporting for this story included information provided by Skills for Rhode Island’s Future and interviews with participating vendors and the Village manager.
