Services+Stuff

Businesses come and, sadly, often go. Others change locations or add another one. But the core stores remain strong, certainly for Seven Days readers. That’s why we see so many familiar names again and again. Last year we acknowledged 12 businesses that had won six consecutive Daysies. In 2009, two of those — Sweet Lady Jane and Imago — moved to second place, bested by Outdoor Gear Exchange and Good Stuff for Best Place to Buy Women’s Casual/Sportwear” and Best Adult Toy Store, respectively. But maybe they’ll follow the path of Indigo, which came back with a vengeance after last year’s loss to Stephen & Burns for Best Hair Salon.

Some new names do appear this year, in part because we divvied up a few categories geographically into inside and outside Chittenden County (see intro for explanation). That allowed Burlington’s Isabean to share space on the kiddie shelf with perennial Zutano for Best Children’s Clothing; The Men’s Store in Montpelier to join longtime winner Michael Kehoe for Best Men’s Clothing; and the capital city’s Splash Naturals to sit pretty with Burlington’s Mirror Mirror for Best Beauty-product Purveyor.” (The latter has a competitor in the form of the international chain MAC Cosmetics, which opened a shop last year on Church Street.)

In the return-to-first-place department, we also have Sports & Fitness Edge for Best Health Club and Fiori Bridal for, duh, Best Bridal Shop. Full Tank is back after we changed the category wording (again) to Best Place to Buy a Pipe. In the reverse direction, Lang McLaughry Spera lost the Daysie deal to Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman for Best Real Estate Agency; Old Spokes Home lost the race for Best Bike Shop to SkiRack.

No one trades places like Topnotch and Stoweflake for Best Spa — the two seem to alternate every year. In 2009, Topnotch is back on, well, top. But both have a serious competitor in the new kid up the road: Stowe Mountain Lodge has made its large presence known in several categories this year. In this section, the lodge scooted into second place behind the indomitable Inn at Shelburne Farms for Best Vermont Wedding Venue.

Homeport, a perennial winner for Hottest Housewares, also grabbed Best Furniture Store this year. Newcomer Candles & Creations snatched Grooviest Gift Shop from Scribbles — though the latter sits comfortably in first for Best Stationer.

Closing his downtown store didn’t prevent goldsmith Timothy Grannis from repeating his previous wins for Best Designer Jewelry; perhaps that bodes well for his new studio collective, Alchemy.

As always, we came up with a few new categories this year. Let’s start feet first: Burlington’s Tootsies won its first Daysie for “Best manicure/pedicure.” (And hey, there’s that Stowe Mountain Lodge in second place. Who knew?)

Two other newbies reflect the times, and technology: Best Web Developer went to Union Street Media, with Propeller Media Works a close second. And the Best Vermont ‘Green’ Business, according to Seven Days readers, is the earth-friendly home-products company Seventh Generation. Hinesburg’s wind-power people, NRG Systems, are runners-up. Way to go eco!

Congrats to winners old and new. Hope we see you all at the Daysies party.

— Pamela Polston