The SWVA Shop will open its first retail space at The Local in Blacksburg on October 14, 2026, the company said in a post on X. The store is part of The Local’s opening in downtown Blacksburg.
The Local is a retail incubator at 414 N. Main Street, at the former Cook’s Cleaners site. Its ribbon cutting is scheduled for October 14, followed by a grand opening celebration from October 15 through October 17.
Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. oversees The Local. Tracie Hughes leads the organization as executive director, and Allison Geneser is its retail operations manager.
The SWVA Shop is listed as a featured inaugural tenant. Other opening retailers include The Stray Shop, Pedestrian, Millei Collective, Kinfolk, five rotating Micro Shops and Moon Hollow Coffee.
In addition to its apparel line, the company produces custom screen printing, heat-transfer printing, embroidery and promotional products for businesses, teams and organizations across Blacksburg, Lynchburg and Southwest Virginia.
The company was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Blacksburg. Its founder and CEO, Jason Swartz, is a 2018 Virginia Tech graduate who managed the Virginia Tech basketball team before starting the company.
The shop sells Virginia Tech licensed apparel and Blacksburg-themed lifestyle items, alongside merchandise inspired by Southwest Virginia’s culture, mountains and traditions. It will enter a Blacksburg Virginia Tech apparel market that includes Campus Emporium and Rally House.
