Tweed begins fall with new owner

Sparta — Victoria and Duffy Brennan are the new owners of Tweed, a home furnishing and gift store founded by Carol and Paul Viall. Behind the scenes, the story is far from simple. The Sparta store is one of two Tweeds, with the second located in Richmond, Va. The original business plan involved establishing a chain of stores catering to affluent suburban customers, according to founder Carol Viall. Her two daughters and husband are also involved in the business. What the business plan did not count on was growth, at least not the 55 percent annual growth that the firm has averaged in its first five years. “We were confident this was going to work, just not this well,” said Carol Viall. “No matter how large Tweed becomes, it will always need to be a ‘local’ store.” Victoria Brennan has spent her working career as a publicist in the publishing industry and in the real estate industry. Duffy Brennan, well-known in the area as one of Weichert, Realtors leading associates, also began his career on the retail end owning and operating the Levis House in northern New York and then managing a United Van Lines division in New York City. The couple has two children and has lived in Sparta for 17 years. “We are committed to continuing what Carol so successfully began and to continuously update and search for new items which will interest and appeal to a wide variety of styles,” Victoria Brennan said. Beyond bricks and mortar, the new owners plan to join forces with the Vialls and the owners of the Richmond store to expand their online presence. “We are very excited about the potential for e-commerce and we plan to maximize that as quickly as we can with the help and commitment of the Vialls,” said Victoria Brennan. “I have been one of their loyal customers since Tweed began and am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue what they began.” Tweed was originally a division of Sparta Books. In 2003, the first freestanding Tweed store opened at its current location at 21 Theatre Centre in Sparta.