Store on 4 Offers Unique, Iowa Items

Every day is a good day to support local businesses, thanks to entrepreneurs who are creating opportunities in the most unlikely places in Calhoun County. Consider the Store on 4 near Twin Lakes, which offers clothing, books, jewelry, candles, gift items and more.

The shop is located in the building that housed Sparky’s convenience store temporarily after the original store near Twin Lakes burned down in late November 2021. “I wanted to open a store close to home and give people a place to shop when they’re traveling through the area,” said owner Krista Albright, 36, whose shop is located just west of the new Sparky’s store at the junction of Highway 20 and Highway 4. “I thought, ‘Why not give it a try?’”

The Store on 4 opened in mid-November 2023. It’s already becoming a destination for shoppers of all ages. Some customers stop by to buy sweatshirts and other items featuring local schools’ logos, including the South Central Calhoun Titans. Others select farm- and Iowa-themed baby clothes, children’s books, and toys.

The shop also includes an array of ladies’ clothing, jackets, vests, jewelry, hats, gloves and more, including Iowa and Iowa State gear. “I want to offer clothes that are easy to try on,” Albright said. Don’t forget the handmade candles, baking mixes and more made by local entrepreneurs. “I like fun, whimsical items and want to offer more gift items,” Albright said. “I also try to keep things as affordable as possible.”

Not only is the store providing a new shopping destination, but it’s creating jobs. Along with Albright, there are five part-time employees at the Store on 4, including store manager Keanna Klingson. Calhoun County resident Emily Hildreth recently stopped by with her daughter to check out the merchandise. “I love local shops like this,” she said. “It’s great to have options close to home, and I like to see what’s new.”

This isn’t Albright’s first foray into the retail sector. Her journey started simply enough more than10 years ago when her younger sister Katy started sewing infinity scarves. “When she wanted to start selling clothes, too, we started with a home-based business,” Albright said.

As demand for clothes and scarves grew, the sisters opened the Katy Lynn Boutique in Ft. Dodge. Since opening the first Katy Lynn, there’s now a store in Okoboji & Carroll. The Store on 4 allows Albright to offer a different mix of merchandise and appeal to a wider range of customers.

Albright draws on her past work experience, her education and her practical experience as a wife and mother of four young children as she grows the business. The Calhoun County native earned her marketing degree at Iowa State University and her master’s degree in education from Drake University. She taught language arts at the middle school in Pocahontas before going into business full-time.

The Store on 4 is open seven days a week (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). “It’s exciting to create a new business in Calhoun County,” Albright said. “I look forward to helping the Store on 4 grow.”

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