Crush

What Crush does

Crush (operating as Crush + Touch Art Supply) is a privately held, single-location curated retail business founded by Scotte Grover and Katie Wilson in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The company sells a catalog of more than 5,000 products across art supplies, stationery, homeware, accessories, books, zines, greeting cards, and gifts, sourced from independent makers and artists. Products span price points from $3 gel pens to $94 art supply sets, with most items priced between $5 and $50, and the assortment ranges from essential craft materials to artist-grade supplies alongside exclusive co-branded items such as the Gentle Thrills paintbrush-shaped hair claws and Night Blooms Goods soy candles.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model through two channels: a physical retail showroom at 5030 1/2 York Blvd in Highland Park, open daily, and a Shopify-powered e-commerce site that ships via USPS throughout the United States. Marketing is concentrated on Instagram (@crushandtouch) and Shopify-driven content, with no disclosed paid acquisition, B2B channel, or external investment. The customer base is composed of three horizontal persona segments — creative hobbyists and art enthusiasts, gift shoppers, and professional artists/makers — with no enterprise customers, recurring contracts, or subscription revenue stream in evidence. The company is entirely founder-owned, has no disclosed funding, no headcount data beyond two co-founders, and no AI, API, or proprietary technology components disclosed.

Name

Crush

Legal name

Crush

Website

https://crush-la.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Crush + Touch Art Supply is a privately held curated retail shop in Highland Park, Los Angeles, selling over 5,000 art supplies, stationery, homeware, and gifts from independent makers through a single physical store and a Shopify e-commerce site serving creative hobbyists, gift shoppers, and professional artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Retail - Art Supplies and Gifts

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (45941), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Crafting Tools & Equipment Retail (Cutting, Adhesives, Heat Tools) (CRALACAC)

Keywords

• Art supplies retail
• Stationery and gifts
• Curated gift shop
• Independent makers
• Creative hobby supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: One-time sales of art supplies, stationery, accessories, home goods, books, and gifts through both physical retail store and e-commerce platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Crush + Touch Art Supply is an independent retail shop in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles that curates and sells art supplies (from essential to artist-grade), stationery, greeting cards, stickers, art prints, candles, jewelry, hair accessories, homeware, books, zines, and unique gifts from independent makers and artists. The business operates a brick-and-mortar storefront alongside a Shopify-powered e-commerce site that ships across the United States.

Product overview

Crush + Touch Art Supply is an independent art supply and gift shop in Highland Park, Los Angeles, operated by Scotte Grover and Katie Wilson. The store offers a curated selection of art supplies ranging from essential to artist-grade materials, alongside greeting cards, stickers, art prints, home decor, candles, jewelry, hair accessories, books, zines, and unique gifts from independent makers and artists. The product portfolio includes core categories: Art Supplies (brushes, paints, markers, sketchbooks), Stationery (cards, notebooks, stickers, washi tape), Homeware (prints, ceramics, candles, miniatures), Accessories (hair clips, jewelry, pins, bags), Books & Zines, and Greeting Cards for various occasions. The store operates as a physical retail location with online presence via Shopify.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Supplies Art supplies ranging from essential to artist-grade materials, including brushes, paints, markers, pencils, sketchbooks, watercolors, canvas, and craft tools, sold to hobbyists, students, and professional artists.
• Stationery Stationery products including cards, notebooks, sketchbooks, stickers, washi tape, pens, markers, and gift bags, offered for various personal and gifting occasions.
• Homeware Home decor and functional items including art prints, candles, ceramics, drinkware, lighting, miniatures, magnets, puzzles, tableware, and storage.
• Accessories Wearable and personal accessories including hair clips, jewelry, pins, keychains, bags, clothing, socks, and nail art products.
• Books & Zines Books, zines, art books, and calendars featuring independent makers and artists, available for browsing and purchase.
• Greeting Cards Greeting cards for various occasions including birthday, love, wedding, new baby, parents, sympathy, congrats, thank you, and holiday, alongside art cards and gift bags.
• Stickers & Decals Stickers and decals including single stickers, sticker sheets, animal stickers, food stickers, nail stickers, nature stickers, and spooky stickers.
• Art Prints Art prints including risograph prints and artist prints in multiple sizes, featuring work from independent artists.
• Hair Accessories Hair accessories including hair claws, clips, alligator clips, scrunchies, and pins in various designs and themes.
• Candles Scented candles hand-poured in California, featuring various themes and fragrances such as Prickly Wild Rose and Earth Petrichor.
• Jewelry Jewelry items including earrings, necklaces, pins, and brooches, including 18k gold plated brass pieces from independent designers.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards for Crush + Touch Art Supply, redeemable both in-store and online.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gentle ThrillscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive collaboration with local LA-based artist brand Gentle Thrills. Products include paintbrush-shaped hair claws, fly brooches, rolling papers with magnetic closure, and stickers. The partnership produces exclusive Crush + Touch branded items.
• Chronicle BooksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReseller of Chronicle Books publications including Martina Calvi's 'A Year of Junk Journaling' and art books.
• Night Blooms GoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive hand-poured candles in California. Products include Prickly Wild Rose Candle (8oz, 100% natural soy, 50+ hour burn time) and Mini Earth Petrichor Candle (3oz, 20+ hour burn time).
• Sweet BellaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplies Anterique Scribble Note Sets and notebooks through the store.
• Hot Cool TokyominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor of Nakagawa Kyoto traditional Japanese Gansai watercolor sets.
• Little CritterzminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLA-based brand supplying porcelain miniature collectibles.
• AderiaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese vintage-inspired glassware brand supplying retro candy jars and drinkware.
• Transfigure Print Co.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrand Rapids, Michigan-based designer Rio Wolf supplies weatherproof vinyl stickers.
• Peter and JuneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLA-based jewelry brand supplying 18k gold plated brass beetle stud earrings.
• Prince of CaliforniaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNewport Beach-based brand supplying washi tape products.
• Studio WaldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based brand supplying pocket flower presses with birch plywood construction.
• ChunksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeattle-based brand supplying acetate hair claws with seashell prints.
• Coucou SuzetteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParis-based brand supplying eco-friendly recycled acetate hair clips and claws.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Society6: An online marketplace selling art prints, home décor, and accessories produced by independent artists and makers. Comparable to Crush as a discovery and purchase channel for the same independent-artist and curated-homeware audience, operating at larger scale and without a physical retail component.

Broad incumbents

• Blick Art Materials: The largest US specialty art supplies retailer with national storefronts and a deep e-commerce catalog. Comparable to Crush as an art-supplies retailer but operates at massive scale, sells predominantly mass-market artist materials, and does not curate indie maker goods or gift categories.
• Urban Outfitters: A national lifestyle retailer targeting a similar 18–34 creative and gift-shopping demographic with apparel, gifts, stationery, and home goods. Comparable as a broader lifestyle/gift retail competitor for the same indie-design-oriented customer wallet Crush targets.
• Paper Source: A multi-store US specialty retailer historically focused on stationery, greeting cards, gifts, and art supplies. Once the closest scaled analog to Crush's curated stationery-plus-gift model; an instructive comparable for the multi-location trajectory a successful indie curation brand could pursue.
• Michaels: The largest US arts, crafts, and hobby retail chain with thousands of stores and a broad e-commerce assortment. Overlaps with Crush on art supplies, stationery, stickers, and craft materials, but competes on price and scale rather than curation.
• Hobby Lobby: A national arts-and-crafts and home décor chain with hundreds of stores and deep art-supply assortment. Comparable to Crush's art-supply and craft categories at the broad category level, though focused on mass-market craft, framing, and home décor rather than curated indie goods.

Direct peers

• Standard Stationery Supply: An independent New York–based art supply and stationery retailer carrying a curated mix of art materials, stationery, and gifts. Directly comparable to Crush as a similarly positioned single-region indie store with overlapping art-supply and stationery assortments.
• Heath Ceramics: An independent California-based maker and retailer of ceramics and home goods with its own retail showrooms. Comparable to Crush as a California-rooted indie design retailer that combines in-house maker production with curated partner brands and a flagship showroom experience.
• Mohawk General Store: A long-running independent curated lifestyle, gift, and home goods boutique in Los Angeles. Directly comparable to Crush as a single-location LA indie store carrying a similarly eclectic, design-forward mix of gifts, stationery, homeware, and maker goods.
• Catbird: An independent Brooklyn-based boutique known for curated jewelry and gifts from independent makers, with an active e-commerce store. Closely comparable to Crush in indie curation model, maker partnerships, and gift-shopper target audience, though more concentrated on jewelry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/crushandtouch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crush