Petrikor, in downtown Everett, grew from online to brick-and-mortar

EVERETT — Petrikor, a new home and garden store in downtown Everett, launched as an online-only business during the pandemic.

But the aim, always, was to trade its virtual shelves for wooden ones.

Co-owners Scott Hulme and Aaron Scheckler recently made the switch, opening the real-life version of Petrikor at 2816 Rucker Ave.

“I don’t even know how we got into a brick-and-mortar store,” Scheckler said. “But all of a sudden we were signing papers!”

Petrikor is a variation on the spelling of petrichor. The word describes the smell that “frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.”

That kind of pleasant sensory experience is exactly what they hope to offer shoppers.

“We want it to be different, but feel super familiar,” Scheckler said.

The general store stocks locally-made candles, soaps, incense, one-of-a-kind pottery and everyday essentials from dish cloths to retro-style ice cube trays.

For the kitchen, they offer glass measuring cups, wooden spoons, cutting boards and hand-crank flour mills.

Backyard gardeners can shop for trowels, pruners, leather work-gloves and all-natural bug spray.

Got dust bunnies?

Petrikor carries metal dustpans and sturdy whisk brooms “made to last,” Scheckler emphasized.

“We’ve always loved Everett,” Scheckler said. “People are really putting a lot into the city.”

Howie Bargreen, whose coffee shop and coffee roasting business is located across the street from Petrikor, recommended the location, Scheckler said.

The building, whose first floor Petrikor occupies, is one of the first brick buildings in Everett.

“The space checked all the boxes for us,” Scheckler said.

With their landlord’s consent Scheckler and Hulme transformed the storefront, a former hardware store.

Still, it took six months of elbow grease and a jackhammer to complete the metamorphosis.

“We completely gutted the place,” Scheckler said.

One of the first clues as to what lay beneath the surface was a hole in the floor.

The divot revealed hardwood floors underneath 4 inches of concrete and chicken wire.

The partners removed the two layers and disposed of a dated, suspended ceiling, creating a rustic but sophisticated show room.

Pegboard salvaged from the old hardware store was rehung and now serves as a display for books, fishing tackle boxes and French market bags.

They’re among a new breed of retailers that launched as an e-commerce site, found success on the web, and then opted for a traditional store.

“We started with just 12 items,” Scheckler said.

It’s a strategy that’s worked well for other Everett merchants, including MyMyToyStore, a purveyor of pop culture toys at 1806 Hewitt Ave.

You can still order online at Petrikorliving.com, but they no longer ship larger items, an effort to keep their carbon footprint low.

Plus, they want people to stop in and browse. And Petrikor offers in-person classes in mixology, creating flower bouquets and other skills.

The store is a part-time labor of love for the owners. Hulme works for Dillon Works in Mukilteo, and Scheckler works for the Schack Art Center in Everett.

They’ve added 30 new items and hired a part-time worker in the past month or two.

With December here, they hope for even more growth.

“We’ll see how the holidays go,” Scheckler said.

Janice Podsada: 425-339-3097; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @JanicePods.