THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 10, 1996 TAG: 9601090092
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: EARNING A LIVING IN VIRGINIA BEACH
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
CATHY Archambeault grew up with a mother who used herbs as natural remedies and preventive medicine so it seemed only natural that Archambeault and her family follow in her mother's footsteps by opening a herbal business.
Cathy Archambeault and her two children, Tom and Michelle, opened the Herbal Shoppe in the Great American Outlet Mall last month.
The family sells herbal vitamins, lotions, oils and even pet supplies that feature only natural ingredients.
The pet section features natural remedies for bad breath, problem coats and nutritional deficiencies in the form of pills, liquids and powders.
The men's section offers products for the hair, skin and nails, as well as multi-vitamins and amino-fueled nutritional supplements. There's even a product that's supposed to help in keeping a healthy prostate.
The women's section features specific herbs for stress, premenstrual syndrome, cramps, morning sickness, yeast infections and fertility. One herb they stock is said to enlarge the breasts, although neither woman, Cathy nor Michelle, has tried that one yet.
``We use ourselves as guinea pigs,'' said Michelle, 22. ``Although this is nothing new. Nothing that our great-grandmothers didn't already know about. There is just a new wave of people trying to bring the natural ways back.''
The store's children's section offers natural remedies for ear aches and colic, and cough syrups, nasal sprays and throat drops as well as multi-vitamins.
One of the more popular sections of the store is the tea area. There are dozens of varieties of natural teas including green chamomile and damiana leaf varieties. One whole section is devoted to aromatherapy teas with fragrances that are said to enhance or diminish certain aspects of life such as stress.
``People are just now learning that their sense of smell is very important to the way they live,'' said Cathy Archambeault, 48.
There is a reference book section on herbs and their effects.
One book the family routinely uses is the ``Prescription for Nutritional Healing,'' a volume that lists what it calls drug-free remedies using vitamins, minerals, herbs and food supplements.
``We spend a lot of time researching for customers,'' said Michelle Archambeault, who lives with her older sibling and mother in Kings Grant.
The store also sells food including fructose fruit sugar, whole cane sugar, aloe drinks, colon cleaners and brewer's yeast.
Then there are the natural body shampoos, facial scrubs, soaps, fragrances and bath salts. There are natural ingredient dental floss, toothpaste, and cold sore, acne and burn cream.
The store's liquid and pill-form herbal section features some 100 different varieties including odor-free garlic.
The family is very interested in customer feedback, using it to expand the product base. It's also how they gauge a product's effectiveness. They're considering installing a ``testimonial board'' so customers can see comments from real people about herbal products they've tried.
``My grandmother is 73 and plays golf. She's in great shape,'' said Michelle Archambeault, adding that the older woman is the best example of the benefits of herbs.
Cathy and Michelle Archambeault actually work in the store. The two women spend up to 11 hours each day together.
Luckily, they say, they're best friends and have always been a very close-knit family.
Tom Archambeault, 24, is supporting the family while the new business is established. He works at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard as an electrician.
One day, Cathy and Michelle Archambeault said, they hope to be successful enough so that Tom can quit his job and pursue his own business interests.
``We're a very supportive family,'' said Cathy Archambeault. MEMO: The Herbal Shoppe is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
and from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Great American Outlet Mall.
The phone number is 340-6926.
ILLUSTRATION: A large selection of herbal teas is available at the Herbal
Shoppe.
Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Michelle Archambeault and her mother, Cathy, own the Herbal Shoppe
located in the Great American Outlet Mall. The store sells products,
from lotions to pet supplies, that have natural ingredients only.
by CNB