One of the best parts of summer in New Jersey is heading down the shore — and Long Beach Island is one of our favorite places to visit. It’s full of not only beautiful beaches but also great restaurants, bakeries, mini-golf, and places to shop. One brand new Beach Haven shop in particular actually has a connection to Hoboken — The Dune Market, owned by Emily Raleigh and her husband, Bobby.
Four years ago, if someone had told Emily that she would be living on an island with her own shop, she might not have believed them. In fact, when leaving Hoboken for LBI in the spring of 2020, Emily and her now-husband Bobby didn’t think they’d be gone for long. Now, the two live permanently by the shore and own + operate their recently-opened business, selling books, home goods, and self-care products. We sat down with Emily to hear all about her beach shop with Hoboken ties. Read on to learn about The Dune Market, located at 414 N Bay Avenue Unit D in Beach Haven.
(Photo Credits: Emily Raleigh, @thedunemarket)
About Owners Emily + Bobby
Both New Jersey natives, Emily and Bobby had recently returned to the Garden State by way of New York and Boston. Hoboken represented everything they loved about city living with all the benefits of being back in their home state. While in Hoboken, they enjoyed walking along the waterfront and popping into various shops on Washington Street. In Emily’s eyes, Baking Mama remains unparalleled for desserts and JP’s Bagels was considered a Saturday morning tradition. But inspiration struck and long-term plans were accelerated when the pandemic pushed the couple to the beach.
(Photo Credits: Emily Raleigh, @thedunemarket)
Heading Down the Shore
Emily and Bobby returned to her hometown on Long Beach Island when work from home became the rule. The two had been engaged since late 2019 and originally thought they would settle into married life within a quick commuting distance to work. Yet, by the following summer, days of sandy toes and sitting on the beach had defined their new normal. One day, as they took in another LBI sunset, they finally voiced the question: What if we actually stayed? And, ever the entrepreneur, Emily took the opportunity and ran with it.
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Newfound flexibility location-wise enabled Emily to make a career shift that had previously felt further off, and the pieces fell together so perfectly that it seemed like fate. Over the course of a year, the couple got married, left apartment-living for a cottage down the shore, and began to bring Emily’s longtime business vision to life. This summer, The Dune Market opened its doors, physically manifesting a coastal living brand Emily first thought up nearly a decade ago.
The Dune Market is the stuff of coastal grandma-style dreams. Located in Beach Haven’s shopping district, the space contains a variety of items, old and new, “designed for life by the beach.” From the name to the decor, the shop reflects its seaside surroundings, complete with a towel bar. Emily is now a business owner in the same stretch of shops where she worked as a teen – drawing inspiration from her earlier retail experience and the traditional local aesthetic.
(Photo Credits: Emily Raleigh, @thedunemarket)
Emily’s expert curation is perhaps best represented in her intentional staging of the shop. The Dune Market has three distinct sections: Beach reads of all kinds can be found at “The Bookshop,” a collection of titles that Emily handpicked. A “Home” section includes both recent and vintage pieces, many of which have been repurposed by the owner and her family. And for those retreating to the beach in search of rest and relaxation, “The Apothecary” is the must-see section for products that assist with self-care. Emily feels that these sections are interconnected in the same “marketplace” but could just as easily be standalone shops.
(Photo Credits: Emily Raleigh, @thedunemarket)
Consistent throughout the diverse store is intentionality. All products are fair trade or sustainability sourced, and many are attached to a specific charity or mission. Hoboken, too, has touched The Dune Market – the store’s branded merchandise was produced by Partier, a female-owned, full-service merch brand based in the Mile Square.
See More: Your Guide to the Best Jersey Shore Beaches
And Emily noted that the resilience of small business owners in both Hoboken and LBI contributed to her excitement in opening the store. During the height of the pandemic, she was amazed as she witnessed the communities pulling together and small business owners innovating to survive formerly unfathomable circumstances. The Dune Market, too, is innovating even now. Online shopping will debut in September, though the store will remain open in the autumn and winter months.
Whether in person or online, be sure to visit Beach Haven’s newest Hoboken connection when planning your trip to the shore.
