If Sherri Smith had to be honest about the real reason she reopened Florabundance' it was because she had to fulfill the requirements of the shopping gene.

"I missed it. I missed making friends with customers and missed the opportunities to help them discover new things," Smith said.

The big question she had to answer was how to do it. She closed up shop in the Reed Opera House in 2008, but discovered her new lease on retail as part of Aunt Bee's House, the former Spencer's Alley, at 2679 Commercial Street NE.

Aunt Bee's is home to about 100 independent retailers selling everything from antiques to the latest in eco-conscious items, but recently it's helped breathe new life into three former downtown businesses. Razzle Dazzle Card Co. and Simply Stated have also opened sites inside Aunt Bee's.

"Retail gets into your blood," said Smith. "Places like Aunt Bee's give us the chance to keep a foot in that world without the high overhead and life-altering commitments."

In exchange for a rent payment, 10 percent of sales and a single work shift during the month, microentrepreneurs can set up shop inside Aunt Bee's and peddle their wares.

Lorrie Korver, owner of Razzle Dazzle, found herself in need of a relaxed schedule when her husband fell ill last year.

"I really needed to be with him and this was a way to fill that need and the desire to keep the shop open," Korver said.

Belinda Mordhorst, the new owner as of January 1, said some minor renovations are under way to make the space more versatile.

"We want to have spaces for people to come in and pick up something new right off the shelf and spaces for people to dig through if that's what they're into," she said.

Mordhorst rented space in Spencer's Alley before taking over the reins of the whole operation. The shifts owners work are intended to give them first-hand contact with customers and the other merchandise offered.

"If they know what's selling from other retailers they can adapt their own offerings," she said.

For Korver, the eased time commitment is the best part of the deal: "I'm semi-retired now. Are you kidding?"