Shari Aussant has opened up a second shop in Wareham, Massachusetts, where her beachy brand, loyal following and committed community was born.
For 10 years, she wheeled around in a repurposed coffee truck outfitted for Mermaids on Cape Cod goods. She traveled to festivals, art shows and house parties selling her boutique beachwear, jewelry and decor — along with relics from the Old Company Store, a Wareham, Massachusetts, landmark she purchased more than 30 years ago.
Now everything old is new again.
After curating her Mermaids on Cape Cod boutique in oceanfront West Dennis, Aussant followed a calling to return home — about 30 miles west from her storefront and back to the Wareham district where she gathered for coffee and retailing with family, friends and customers.
She’s back to her entrepreneurial roots with Mermaids on Cape Cod Boutique & Company Store at 2573 Cranberry Road, within eyeshot of the Old Company Store, a building she still owns.
The reimagined shop opened in April. It’s a harmonious mashup of her boutique brand, which grew a viral following, and combines the nostalgic retro finds she proudly offered at the Old Company Store before its closing in 2016.
Reflecting on the Old Company Store days, Aussant says, “My mom, sister and I took over the store and turned it into a place for the community to come and share their stories, to spend time with their kids and grandkids.”
There was and is a come-one-come-all spirit. “The love and hospitality that filled the space was beyond words,” says Aussant. “People would buy a gift, and it was more than a present. It was magic.”
At Mermaids on Cape Cod Boutique & Company Store, “We are mixing the vintage thrift shop and country store with my boutique clothing,” Aussant says.
“It’s back to our roots — it’s home,” she relates. “It’s a combination of both businesses in a beautiful way.”
Repurposed surf boards serve as shelving. Local artists created seascape designs along the walls and across the boards. A neighbor recovered the old shop’s original candy counter and gifted it to Aussant one day. “The sweet shop is back — same case, same products,” she says of penny candies customers of all ages cherry pick to fill old-timey bags.
Aussant repurposed antiques for display and sale, and she’s reintroducing the cheeky 1950s retro signage that “just cracks people up,” she says. “I’m the queen of using snarky signage throughout the store, and we’re bringing it back,” she quips of a beachy-keen feel.
Upon opening, the shop and Wareham town’s Facebook feeds were chock full of “can’t wait to see you” excitement.
Aussant’s simply warm reply: “Welcome to our home”
Aussant recalls a drive around Wareham with her late father when she learned of the property that has become a foundation for family and friends. She was 20 years old and found “home” when passing the closed Tremont Nail Factory Old Company Store, which was an antique store that had posted a sign in the window: Closing.
For Aussant, this end was a beginning — an opening.
The drive was no accident. Her late father told her, “I want to show you someplace special.”
“I belong here,” Aussant said with conviction.
They talked to the owner, who offered them three months rent-free to get started. The rest is history and “her” story. Decades later, Aussant is still owner and enlivening the historic space with gifts, guests, laughter and community spirit.
While Mermaids on Cape Cod was focused on women’s wares, with the men in their families often strolling through the shop enjoying the hospitality, this new iteration has a same-but-different feel, thanks to her father’s influence.
“He had a beautiful spirit in the store and he always supported me, my mom and my sister in everything we did,” says Aussant.
While Aussant was running her West Dennis spot, he suggested offering something Triton for the guys. The herald and messenger of the sea is a “merman.”
So, Aussant designed a triton staff modeled after the shape of Cape Cod. The symbolic give-away was never intended to be sold. “I gave them away to men who came into the shop and supported their ‘mermaids,’ and it became something where men saw these tritons around town and knew what they meant. It became a thing, and it grew.”
Now, Triton is equally a theme at the shop, with dedicated team member Patrick Fay carrying the torch. His visibility as a welcoming face in the shop is growing. He and his mom have served its guests for a number of years, moving from the West Dennis location to this new home in Wareham.
“He is a greeter who makes everyone feel accepted, and his enthusiasm for the Triton brand is contagious,” Aussant says, noting his involvement in selecting color schemes for special events designs and overall involvement in the shop.
Now in the summer season, visiting Mermaids on Cape Cod Boutique & Company Store feels like a reunion for familiar customers and a magical discovery for new visitors. Aussant says, “It’s just a special place.”
