By Mary Allgier
PillowTalk Lingerie store in the Carmel Arts and Design District is celebrating its fifth birthday by trying to collect 3,000 canned foods.
The store’s third annual food drive runs through Nov. 14, and every donor receives a discount for the store and a raffle ticket.
“The last two years people have been very generous,” said Rachel Davidson, owner of PillowTalk. “Every year we try to get a little more by incentivizing people to donate.”
Last Friday, the store’s birthday, PillowTalk celebrated with double raffle tickets per item and a visit from the Retro 101 boutique on wheels, which donated 15 percent of its sales that day for the food drive.
“The more you donate, the higher your chances of winning something,” Davidson said.
Davidson grew up in the Broadripple area but was living and working in Seattle when she got the idea to start her own business.
“I thought, ‘What a great opportunity to go home to Indiana.’ It (lingerie) is a market that is lacking in this area,” Davidson said, “The Arts and Design District felt like the best fit for me.”
PillowTalk carries various brands of lingerie, candles and skin products, many of which benefit the environment or some humanitarian cause.
“We have a constantly changing stock and brands that aren’t just nice to wear, but good for the planet,” Davidson said.
Davidson has enjoyed the Carmel community and is a member of the local business association, which participates in philanthropic activities.
As PillowTalk’s second birthday rolled around, Davidson decided to do something special.
“Since the day I opened the door I wanted to use this store as a conduit for philanthropy, so I’ve done a lot of things.” Davidson said. “I was talking to a friend about how to celebrate our second birthday and I thought ‘We can’t just have a party.’”
Nov. 14 is the last day for the food drive. The store is located at 23 E. Main St. and is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.