The Shop Tart's sweet life

By Tiffany Melanis
Edited by Johnny Dickerson

Everything in Anne Postic's office, from the local art on the walls to the shiny Macbook on the glass, baroque-painted desk, fits her Shop Tart image.

Postic has created a brand for herself. Better known as Columbia's Shop Tart, Postic spends her days participating in charity events, shopping and dining, and then blogging about it.

"You should know never to be early for a meeting with me," she says, pausing from a business call, and three minutes late for an interview.

Dressed in a secondhand St. John wool coat and flipping her long hair, she enters her office at 701 Whaley St. ecstatic for another day of doing what she loves most – sharing Columbia's local scene with the city on her daily blog.

"As an adult I realized that there was this whole other part of Columbia that I didn't know of," says Postic, who grew up in the city. "I just wanted to show people how great this city is and it's fun. That's what I try and do every day."

Her goal as a blogger, radio broadcaster and weekly host on WACH-TV is to support and help get the word out about local businesses and charities. Postic sees her job as a platform that helps small businesses thrive.

"It just makes for a more vibrant city," Postic says. "I just think that it also gives the community a personality. It sets us apart."

Postic started her blog in April 2008, inspired, she says, by DailyCandy.com, a website promoting 12 big cities' local scenes. While on spring break with her children, Postic, her friends and her sister brainstormed over the phone and agreed "Shop Tart" was a sweet and memorable name.

Soon after, with the help of a friend, artist Heather Lahaise, Postic designed a pink-and-purple logo featuring a woman's silhouette, and the Shop Tart brand was created.

The blog, now averaging 30,000 visitors a month, relies on advertising for revenue. But Postic skirts talking specifics, saying revenue is minimal, but that what she gets out of it is priceless.

Melissa Blanchard, owner of Pout beauty store and Van Jean boutique, has had her stores featured by Postic on WACH, WOIC Radio and theshoptart.com.

"Anne as a person is very vivacious and passionate, and that's what makes her blog successful," she says.

Blanchard says her stores see more business after being featured and that she hears from her customers that they love reading Postic's reviews.

Among those customers, Michelle Mattison says she follows Shop Tart to keep up with boutique sales, restaurant specials and Columbia events.

Perry Lancaster, owner of Brittons boutique, also says Postic's promotion of his store has helped business and that he appreciates her efforts to promote not only his shop, but all local retailers.

But with success has also come stress, Postic says.

Thinking back to what her uncle once told her after a mistake in her blog upset a shop owner, she leans in close to stress a point.

"You know, there's not a job in the world where someone is going to be happy with you all the time. Even if your job was to give all your money away, someone would be mad you didn't give it to them," she says. "And he was absolutely right."

She says it was at that moment she realized her blog was a success.

"If it weren't a successful blog, I know that person wouldn't have been so upset with me," Postic says. "It was definitely a learning experience."

Postic has been trying to expand her business beyond advertising revenue on her blog by getting out of her comfort zone behind her laptop. She now covers the local scene on WACH-TV's Tuesday morning news and talks about it every Friday on her WOIC talk show.

WACH's "Shop Tart Tuesday" shows Postic at work in Columbia boutiques and restaurants, recommending everything from boots to martinis and appetizers.

After a long sigh, she explains that television and radio were not in her original business plan, but that she understands multimedia is important for her business to thrive.

First and foremost, however, Postic, who is married to Alex, a lawyer, is a mother of three. Following in her footsteps, Oliver, 12; Xander, 9; and Jack, 4, have branded themselves: Oliver as "The Oldest Child," Xander as "Fifties Guy" and Jack as "The Tank." She says they live up to their titles.

"I love being a parent, and I think it's important for children to see the lives their parents have," she says, "Children don't make life easier, but they certainly make life better."

Her children often accompany Postic on her work visits, especially when a restaurant is up for review. On a recent trip to The Original House of Pancakes in Columbia, Jack asked, "Do you walk in the pancakes or are they just on top of the house?"

During a visit with a friend to Tic Toc Candy Shop in Five Points, Oliver bought a bag filled with pink and purple Shop Tart colored M&M's and left with a blog entry idea he knew his mother would love. The next day The Shop Tart featured a post on Tic Toc's wide assortment of sweet and sour delights.

"I like the idea of having children and not becoming only a parent," Postic says, "That's only one function. You should always be able to do what you love."