Starting Sunday, Old Town Alexandria boutiques with Croatian flags plan themed deals through June 28, aiming to capture a wave of visitors tied to Croatia’s World Cup team base in the city.
For a lot of small business owners on King Street, the World Cup won’t just be something to watch. It’s a reason to restock, redecorate, and staff up—because a steady flow of visitors is expected to come to Alexandria instead of disappearing overseas.
Croatia’s national men’s soccer team is setting up its World Cup home base in Alexandria. and the Old Town Boutique Community is launching a sales event built around the team’s “checkers.” Starting Sunday. the group is hosting a special “Shop the Checkers” promotion. with participating stores displaying Croatian flags on their planters and offering special sales. discounts or related events until June 28.
Guests who make purchases can also receive a themed “Goal Getter” soccer tote bag for free, while supplies last.
Megan Podolsky, the owner of Mint Condition and 529 Kids Consign, said she and her team have already adjusted for what she described as an influx from around the world coming to the city.
“This is not going to be like a normal summer where everyone leaves Alexandria and goes abroad. They’re all coming to us,” Podolsky said. “We’re just ready to welcome everybody, and we’re very excited for this opportunity.”
The Old Town Boutique Community includes over 30 independently owned shops on and around King Street, offering everything from apparel and home goods to food and wine. Podolsky framed the event as more than a marketing push—something the neighborhood does when times get hard.
“It is all small businesses, it’s all independently owned, and so we do come together for tough times, so whether it’s COVID or the tariffs, we band together,” she said. “And that’s when this marketing collective becomes even more important to support each other.”
At Wine Gallery 108, the timing of the World Cup event couldn’t be clearer for Lisa Katic. She said tariffs on her imported wines and broader economic uncertainty have made it difficult to keep the shop running smoothly, calling the situation a “juggling act.”
“We’re experiencing definitely some issues in the economy, in terms of prices raising, gas prices being an issue for people, so we’re really looking forward to this,” Katic said. “This is going to be a really big, we think, influx to the city, and hopefully to the business during this time.”
Wine Gallery 108 offers wine. gourmet foods and art. and Katic said the shop is curated—she tastes items before they go on sale. With Croatian supporters expected to be in town. she began preparing by learning about Croatian wines. reaching out to her vendors. and extending an invitation to small Croatian wine producers.
Wine Gallery 108 will host three special Croatian wine tastings on June 16, June 23 and June 26, featuring 10-12 wines from various regions of the country.
“For us, and as a city, for me as a business, and us as a city, to have this opportunity is huge,” Katic said, adding that her shop will be filled with Croatian T-shirts, flags and decorations.
Podolsky said both of her businesses—focused on high-end consignment for women and children—will have a sale on all red, white and blue merchandise. She said she plans to welcome members of the Croatian delegation to stop by her store and others around Old Town Alexandria with friends and family.
“If a Croatian player stopped by during his stay, what would she do?” she was asked.
“It would be an honor to have these guys in our stores,” Podolsky said. “Hopefully, their wives love some designer clothes, and they’ll want to come shop.”
An entire list of participating stores, a downloadable map and event details are available on the Old Town Boutique Community’s website.
Old Town Alexandria Croatia World Cup Shop the Checkers Croatian delegation King Street shops small businesses Wine Gallery 108 Mint Condition 529 Kids Consign