Painted Tree Boutiques vendors will have another chance to sell their items after the Cary marketplace closed abruptly last month.
A sale will be held Saturday and Sunday at Monarch Logistics at 8808 Running Oak Drive in Raleigh. Sunday's shopping hours are from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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"This event brings together multiple small businesses—boutiques, handmade goods, home décor, and more—all in one place for the community to support," one vendor wrote to WRAL News. "This is more than just a sale—it’s an opportunity for the community to rally behind local entrepreneurs during a very difficult time."
The warehouse is owned by the son of one of Painted Tree's vendors, Celeste Neville.
In April, the company alerted vendors at more than 60 stores nationwide of plans to cease all business operations -- including the location inside Cary's Crossroads Plaza. Stores in Raleigh, Gastonia and Matthews were also impacted.
The decision left many independent shop owners in Raleigh and Cary scrambling to move out their inventories.
"We just all were caught completely off guard with the closure," said Neuville, who owns Celeste Boutiques. "So for us to have a way to get our inventory out of our garages and our dining rooms and bring it out and sort of get us motivated again and continue the momentum we had with Painted Tree has been great for us."
The company, which operates a retail model that allows independent sellers to rent miniature storefronts inside a larger marketplace, recently sent guidance to vendors as it moves toward bankruptcy.
Painted Tree gave vendors a short deadline to retrieve their items.
The company is urging vendors to prepare to file a “proof of claim,” a formal legal document submitted to the court that outlines how much money a creditor believes they are owed, along with supporting evidence. Without filing one, vendors are unlikely to recover any funds.