Manitou Springs Aromatherapy Shop Sees Tourist-Driven Growth

Sage & Ember Apothecary has doubled its retail floor space this spring, expanding into the storefront next door after three years of steady growth driven largely by tourist foot traffic along Manitou Avenue.

Owner Willa Bramford started the shop as a small aromatherapy and essential oil counter before gradually adding custom blending services, where customers can build personalized oil blends on the spot. She says the custom blending bar has become the shop's main draw, accounting for a growing share of transactions each year since it was introduced.

Turning Foot Traffic Into Repeat Business

Manitou Springs draws a heavy volume of day-trip tourists visiting its mineral springs and mountain attractions, and Bramford says converting that one-time foot traffic into repeat and referral business has been the shop's central challenge. A loyalty program offering discounts on refills of custom blends has helped, she says, with a meaningful share of customers now reordering online after their initial in-person visit.

The shop has also built a modest wholesale relationship with several local spas and yoga studios, supplying room diffuser blends and treatment oils, a channel Bramford says has grown from a handful of accounts to a steadier list of regional wellness businesses.

Expanding Without Losing the Shop's Character

Bramford says the decision to expand into the neighboring storefront came with some hesitation, since much of the shop's appeal has depended on its small, personal feel. The expansion adds space for group blending workshops rather than significantly increasing retail shelf space, a choice she says was meant to preserve the shop's identity while still growing revenue.

She's now considering whether to open a second location in a nearby town, though she says she wants to see how the expanded Manitou Springs space performs through a full tourist season before making that decision.