TOWN OF DEWITT – A national retail franchise specializing in plant-based, handcrafted soap and body care products has opened up a new shop in DeWitt.
Located at 3409 Erie Blvd. E. in the space between the Supercuts salon and GameStop, the Buff City Soap store augmented its grand opening by presenting the first 50 people in line from Thursday, Nov. 18 through Sunday, Nov. 21 with the offer of two free bars of soap every month for a year.
All customers’ purchase totals were also slashed by 15% all weekend, and those who bought $100 worth of products were given 25% discounts off the regular price.
Everything on the DeWitt store’s shelves has been made and packaged in-house by local employees, and anyone who stops in can sit at the “makers bar,” behind which the artisans pour, shape and design soap on a daily basis.
Bringing a creative element and transparent feel to the business, these soap makers use cosmetic grade mica pigments for the colorants before leveling off the loafs of soap and cutting them down to approximately 750 individual bars per day.
To prevent waste, the end pieces that don’t fall within the required range of 5.5 and seven ounces are later placed into “mystery boxes” alongside a miscellany of product samples.
The same smoothening process is done for the bath bombs, which are sculpted just so—not too wet or they’ll start expanding, and not too dry or they’ll crumble.
Children who visit the store are then allowed to paint the finished bath bombs that are later tossed in the tub and used for aromatherapy.
Buff City Soap also sells epsom salt for minor aches, sugar scrubs for exfoliation and its unique soap whip for moisturizing, not to mention laundry soap that contains just four simple ingredients: citric acid, washing powder, fragrance and coconut oil.
Much of the franchise’s output is broken down by scent, and all of its natural products avoid the use of harsh chemicals, animal fats and sulfates.
“The way the world is going, people want things that are better for them,” said Jordan Wilson, the DeWitt store’s vice president of operations. “This is a great way to do it at a reasonable price.”
The health and beauty shop’s regular hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Its hours will temporarily be extended on Black Friday and from Dec. 13 until Dec. 23. There are also plans for the store to host happy hours and birthday parties at some point in the near future.
Its name holds no link to Buffalo, New York, as is the misconception, Buff City Soap instead originated out of Memphis, Tennessee, which is also known as the “Bluff City.” The franchise has built up more than 135 locations across 23 states since its founding in 2013, with the store in New Hartford being the next closest.
The DeWitt store’s CEO is Jordan’s father, Larry Wilson, who established both the CoreLife Eatery and Moe’s Southwest Grill in the same plaza.
To learn more about the local location, follow “Buff City Soap – DeWitt” on Instagram or Facebook.