Misc. Lu Gifts & Apparel a happy place for owner Lulu Regard
As an avid boutique shopper, Lulu Regard created her own store last year where she combined all of her favorite things, along with some new ones.
“It’s kind of a combination of all the places I’ve shopped in the past,” Regard said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Two years ago, she began selling products in a friend’s hair salon in Hoover, but she soon decided she wanted a bigger space of her own.
“I found this spot on Valleydale and moved in here,” she said. “When COVID-19 hit, it was to my benefit and allowed me to set up my shop in the former Apex Valet location.”
Misc. Lu opened last September. Regard moved in some new furniture, hung rods, set up dressing rooms and hung decorations on the wall to give it the feel she wanted.
Not new to running a business, she and her husband own Crazy Cajun’s in Inverness Corners. Her husband owns a home inspection business, and now she has a shop of her own.
“Since opening, I’ve had a few ladies ask if they can put their stuff in my shop, and I’m all for local items,” she said. “I also get shipments every week.”
Misc. Lu has a variety of items, including clothes, gourmet food, jewelry and brand names including Arthur Court, Lampe Berger air purifiers and fragrances, and E. Newton jewelry. Other items available include cards, clothing lines, handmade baby clothes, gourmet pet treats and local art pieces.
“I like things that give back,” she said.
Misc. Lu Gifts & Apparel
WHERE: 4509 Valleydale Road, Suite 1
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
CALL: 205-582-2444
WEB: Facebook @miscellaneouslu and Instagram at @misc.lu
Regard describes her shop as her happy place, adding that it offers a great selection of gifts in a variety of price ranges.
“I don’t want it to just be for one kind of person. I want it to be for everybody,” she said.
Since opening, Regard said she has built up a client base that continues to grow. Many customers have learned about the store by word of mouth and social media, and she said she has gotten a lot of new customers from the Next Door app.
“It’s wonderful to see repeat customers and new ones that come in who just found out about us,” she said. “This community has been kind and has really embraced me.”
Misc. Lu is located behind the former Rite Aid at the intersection of Valleydale Road and Caldwell Mill Road.
The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 am. To 3 p.m. Saturdays. It is closed Sunday and Monday.
“It’s growing, and I’m excited about that,” Regard said. “It’s just what I like doing, and it’s like I’m not even going to work.”