Splendor Park City: 21 Years of Beauty & Gifts at Redstone

If you have spent any time at Redstone in Kimball Junction, chances are you have popped into Splendor. For 21 years, owner Delilah Gervais has filled her shop with beauty, indulgent gifts, and a little bit of everyday magic.

For our latest Local Business Spotlight, Team Schlopy’s own Summer Sanders Schlopy sat down with Delilah, one of her very first friends in Park City, to talk about why she opened Splendor, the generations of locals who keep coming back, and what is in store for the holiday season.

Here is a look at what makes Splendor such a beloved stop in the Wasatch Back.

Watch the Full Interview Below

A Little Escape From the Everyday Errand Run

Splendor opened on October 20, 2005, with a clear purpose.

"I wanted to create an environment where women and men could come in and just feel like they had a little bit of an escape that felt indulgent, and a little bit of magic just in their daily life," Delilah said. "That felt a little bit different than their normal errand run."

Park City is a rugged mountain town, which is exactly why the idea worked. As Summer told her, the shop was an addition this town needed.

Still, Delilah hears one assumption all the time. When she meets people outside of Park City and tells them what she does, the reply is often, "Oh, I'm not really into makeup." Her answer: "We're so much more than makeup. You have to come in."

"Yes, we have the girly, fun, feminine things, but we also have the indulgent, like silk pillowcases, and we have the custom-made shirts from a local artist. We've got bath products. There's many other things besides makeup." The shop is stocked with a gift for anybody, at any time, and as Summer points out, not just for women.

Three Generations of Splendor Customers

For Delilah, the most rewarding part of 21 years in business is watching the community grow up around her shop. Families who supported her in the beginning brought their little kids in. She watched those kids grow up and donated to their fundraisers.

"Now those kids are coming in with their kids, and it's kind of like a goosebump moment for me," she said. "I love that we're a generationally supported business within the community."

Visitors feel it too. "I can't tell you how many times people come in and they're like, 'Every time I'm in town, I've been coming for 20 years. I always make this my first stop.'"

Why Splendor Has Lasted 21 Years

Plenty of stores have come and gone in the area, but Splendor has stayed. Part of that, Delilah jokes, is personality. "I'm a glutton for punishment. I like a challenge. Nobody can ever tell me I can't do anything, because that's motivational."

The bigger reason is the community. "When I ask the community to show up for me during those hard times, they do. COVID was no joke. 2008 was no joke. Right now it's challenging, and people just keep showing up for us. But that's also because over the years, we've showed up for the community through many avenues. It's all about give and take."

Some regulars take that loyalty further than others. About six years ago, a massive lightning storm rolled through, and one shopper refused to make a run for her car. "She was like, 'Oh my gosh, if today is the day I'm going to die, let it be here. My favorite place,'" Delilah recalled. As Summer put it, that is a compliment and a half.

Gearing Up for the Holidays

The holidays are Splendor's busiest time of year, and Delilah is already gearing up. On the calendar: the Redstone Sidewalk Sale, Splendor's annual Elf on the Shelf hunt, and a Christmas party at the beginning of December.

Splendor also does seasonal collection drops. Right now, the Out West collection celebrates the Western lifestyle. For Christmas, Delilah always launches an Après Ski collection, and it gets better every year.

"The first year we did it, it was okay. The second year, I was like, this is really nice. Last year it was great. This year it's going to be awesome," she said. "I now understand what people want to see within that collection, so I was able to go deeper into a little bit more luxurious items."

Living and Working in the Wasatch Back

We ask all of our spotlight guests the same final question: What is the best part of living and working in the Wasatch Back?

"Obviously, the beauty that surrounds us. It's not a bad gig to drive up to every day," Delilah said. "Right now, the colors are changing and, oh my gosh, it's so pretty."

"But really, the people. I love running into the Whole Foods and seeing a customer and catching up with them outside of the store. I love seeing everybody's kids during the summer, running around Redstone. It's a true community, and you feel that working here and living here."