Viking General Store may be new to the local shopping scene, but its roots in the Tri-Cities run deep.

Founded by local friends and Fox Valley natives Jean Smith and Lesley Vernald, the Geneva-based brand puts a fresh spin on high-quality apparel inspired by the places they grew up.

The company’s name is a perfect example. If you’re a long-time local, you might remember Viking Office Supply in Geneva — which is the inspiration behind the name. “Viking” is a nod to that popular local shop, while “General Store” aims to encapsulate the feeling of of a tight-knit community.

“When thinking of a name, we wanted one that encompassed a greater feeling that just spirit wear,” Smith said. “We also both have fond memories of going to Viking Office Supply and while we waited for our parents to make a purchase, we would sit at the communal table and try out all the pens and markers. That one small store brought so many people together.”

The business may be in its early stages, but Smith and Vernald have big plans. Below is a Q&A with the two women edited for clarity:

In February of 2025, we took a long walk discussing an array of topics. We landed on the topic of local spirit wear and our wish for more fashion-forward pieces.

We dreamt of a store that had beautifully curated blue and white apparel but was also a store that brought the community together — and that is where Viking General Store was born.

Lesley grew up in St. Charles and Jean grew up in Batavia. We both left the state for college, but we came back to the Tri-Cities to raise our families and eventually made 60134 our permanent address.

While we both proudly bleed blue and white, our families still reside in their respective towns so we have a deep love for the entire Tri-Cities. From the restaurants to the schools to the forest preserves, we feel so thankful to call this place our home.

We have a lot of brilliant women to credit for our idea to launch phase. Keli Nitschke, the owner of Swish Avenue Boutique, and Ashley Nakayama, the owner of Knack Marketing, guided us with grace, knowledge, and a lot of emails.

We are currently online only, but our dreams hold a brick-and-mortar space!

As a collection-based boutique (meaning: once an item sells out, there’s no guarantee it will return) we like to launch a few collections a year in person at pop-up events.

We are a two-woman show!

From designs to social media to delivery and everything in between, we do it all. And like all business owners, we have strengths and weaknesses so we are learning a lot daily. We are so passionate about what we are giving the community that no challenge is too great.

We launched on August 16, 2025 with a Trunk Show at Swish Avenue. And while we were excited, we were also very nervous. Will anyone show up? Will they like our pieces? Will they buy our pieces?

And when the event was over and when the after party was over (because every new business deserves an after party), we sat in Lesley’s living room completely exhausted and absolutely blown away at the response.

We both stared at one another in total disbelief and all-consuming gratitude at how well received we were by the community.

The sky is the limit! And maybe not just the sky over Geneva…other towns too. Keep an eye on us as we are just getting started.

You can learn more about Viking General Store on their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with questions or comments.

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