Southampton - Flanked by Southampton Village Mayor Mark Epley, MacKenzie-Childs CEO Lee Feldman cut the ribbon on the company's new store on Main Street. Feldman used a three foot long scissors especially created with the MacKenzie-Childs checker design for the grand opening, as Southampton now officially joins NYC, Palm Beach and the company headquarters store in Aurora, NY as the fourth retail location for this iconic brand of exquisite handcrafted ceramics and enamel tableware, furniture, home décor, garden furniture and outdoor and personal accessories.

Store Manager Christina DeCroce joined Marketing Director Jamie DeVault, CEO Lee Feldman and Mayor Mark Epley for the offical ribbon cutting at the Grand Opening of the new MacKenzie-Childs store on Main Street in Southampton. (Douglas Harrington)

As signs of an economic recovery continue to bud across the nation, Southampton's commerce maintains its brisk pace with very few vacant Main Street store fronts as compared to many other towns in the East End. Commenting on his company's decision in choosing Southampton as their new location Feldman had previously stated in a press release, "We are very excited to be open in Southampton. This is the perfect setting for the MacKenzie-Childs design aesthetic. Many of our collectors spend time and have homes in Southampton and we look forward to seeing them in our Hamptons location."

The store does indeed reflect the "MacKenzie-Childs design aesthetic." It is beautifully laid out displaying the signature colorful and multi-patterned design elements that reflect the company's almost whimsical style in creating products that are, as they profess, "tradition with a twist."

Commenting on the MacKenzie-Childs move to Main Street, Epley told Hamptons.com, "An iconic brand like MacKenzie-Childs wants to be in a place like the Village of Southampton. There is a certain ambience and historical factor imbued in this community."

He went on to note, "There is a strong relationship between businesses that operate in places like Palm Beach and places like Southampton. When you have a reputation like MacKenzie-Childs has, it pulls people into town. They not only shop at MacKenzie-Childs, they shop at Herrick's Hardware and they go across the street to restaurants like Barristers. The more foot traffic you can generate in the village, the stronger our economy is in support of all the businesses. To have an anchor like MacKenzie-Childs is something we are proud to have."

The store's mascot, an exquiste Deer Head in the iconic check design that is pure MacKenzie-Childs. There may be a naming contest! (Douglas Harrington)

By the time the summer season starts Epley believes the Village of Southampton will have 100 percent retail occupancy, "We believe we have the strongest economic base of all the different areas of the Hamptons. We have solid restaurants here; it is easy to park, easy to walk throughout the village. We have a massive planning process, a nine point piece. We are looking at improvements just within this business district itself. We have a very pro-active government here."

So another piece of the economy recovery puzzle has been put into place as MacKenzie-Childs opens its doors on Main Street. It should be noted that although the store in Southampton will offer the largest selection of the company's products in the Hamptons, London Jewelers carries an extensive line of MacKenzie-Childs merchandise in their East Hampton location.

To paraphrase the Bard (forgive me dear Shakespeare), this has been the economic winter of our discontent, helped to be made glorious summer by this sun, and check pattern, of MacKenzie-Childs. Perhaps one day we may even see the signature MacKenzie-Childs Heralds manning the door of their store on Main Street, Southampton.