About Us
We are a French-inspired home décor & gift boutique with a mission to curate beauty & spread kindness. After a trip to Paris in 2000, founder and owner, Angela Phelps was so inspired that 5 years later, she left her career behind to open Le Village Marché in March 2007 in the Village at Shirlington in Arlington, Va. Phelps wanted to replicate what she found at the famous flea markets of Paris & Provence, blending the old & the new, with carefully curated beaded chandeliers, savon de Marseilles soap, letterpress notecards & journals, handmade jewelry from local designers, French tea towels & glassware, along with vintage items that she found antiquing. The charming store has been featured in the Washington Post, Arlington Magazine, & Northern Virginia Magazine, to name a few, being named one of DC’s best gift shops and the best place to find a unique gift. “Unique” is a word often used by customers to describe the store because of Phelps’ keen eye, excellent taste, & attention to detail. Customers know they can find things at Le Marché that they can’t find anywhere else. We are proud to not be a high-end boutique, but rather a mid-luxury shopping experience. Phelps often says “Whether you want to spend $20 or $200 on a gift, you’ll always walk away with a quality product that will impress anyone."
Phelps’ entrepreneurial spirit led her to open three additional businesses in 15 years. Le Petit Marché was an off-shoot of Le Village Marché, which was a 6-mo pop-up store that featured vintage items & refinished furniture in 2010. In 2009, Phelps opened Verbena Paper & Gifts in the same Village at Shirlington that offered fine paper goods and custom printed invitations. In 2015, Phelps opened a second location of Le Village Marché at Cathedral Commons, a new development in N.W. Washington DC, just north of Georgetown. The five-year lease ended in 2020 during the pandemic and was closed permanently.
Like many other small businesses, the two-year pandemic brought many challenges, but also many opportunities to innovate. In 2020, Le Village Marché launched its e-commerce website, private shopping experiences, and custom gift box services to meet the needs of clients.
In 2022, after successfully weathering the pandemic, Phelps began thinking about the future of the brand. For 15 years, customers who visit us from elsewhere have said, 'I wish there was a Le Village Marché where I live.' With this in mind, and from inquires, Phelps decided to expand and grow the store through the franchise model. Le Village Marché Boutique Franchise opportunities are now available! To learn more visit our website: https://www.levillagemarchefranchise.com