Stonington — Over the past year, Janis Albamonti has seen a number of people she knew pass away.

“I’m 65 and a half. It really hit me,” said the founder and owner of the Fun Company, a borough institution for more than 30 years that bills itself as “the original sample outlet” and pioneered the idea of a pop-up store.

So as she thought about the possibility of retiring, Kyle Anderson, a loyal customer looking for a new venture after years in sales and marketing, came into the Cutler Street store in April looking for a birthday gift. In fact, she had been coming to the store several times a week hoping to run into Albamonti.

“This is my favorite place ever to shop. I introduced myself to her and said ‘If you’re ever looking to sell the store I hope you call me first.' "

Anderson, who lives in Mystic, had no idea that Albamonti, who runs the business with her husband, Ron, was considering retirement.

“She dropped what she was doing and said, “Are you (expletive) kidding me?" Anderson recalled.

For those who know Albamonti, the reaction was not unusual.

“She approached me. The timing was right. ... I want to have good time,” Albamonti said.

“It was like the stars were aligned,” said Anderson.

For the past two months, Albamonti has been helping Anderson with the transition, bringing her on buying trips and introducing her to her suppliers and customers.

After a brief closure for a “freshening up” including redoing bathrooms and dressing rooms and putting out new stock, the store reopened Thursday. Anderson said Albamonti will be around for about six months to assist her.

“When people hear Janis has sold the store the first thing they say is 'Is it going to change?'" said Anderson. “I tell them, ‘It will really be the same but better.’ We’re going to expand luxury lines and bring back giftware. They feel OK when they hear Janis is taking me under her wing.”

“We have a great relationship. We went on a buying trip and I laughed so hard my abs hurt,” she added. “She’s such a great mentor. She knows her customers and always puts them first.”

Until she decided to make an offer to Albamonti, Anderson said she had not found another venture that made her “heart go pitter patter.” But her father had run a jewelry store and she believed Fun was where she needed to be.

Albamonti opened her first store in 1983 in Mystic before moving to the borough in 1985. Since then Fun has occupied several storefronts on Water Street.

The store sells fine linens and towels, clothing, jewelry, toys, stationary, gifts, kitchenware, handbags and many other items which Albamonti procures from a network of suppliers she has amassed over the years.

And whenever she purchased a large amount of certain items, she would often rent a vacant storefront for a few months until the stock was sold.

“We’ve been a sweater store, a baby store, a men's store; whatever comes up,” Albamonti said. “We are the original pop-up shop.”

She once had four stores open at the same time. Sometimes they were right across the street from each other. Currently, there is a pop-up shop in the American Velvet Mill on Bayview Avenue and Anderson plans to continue the same business model.

Since 1998 the flagship store has been at 71 Cutler St.

Albamonti likened the business to raising a puppy to an adult dog.

“This dog now needs a bigger yard to run in,” she said.

So what’s been Albamonti’s key to success?

“I like very nice things and I like to sell them at a really, really great price. But I’ve never got greedy,” she said.

That's a lesson she has passed on to Anderson.

“Janis told me ‘Don’t be a pig. Even if you can get more you’ll sell twice as many at a lower price,’ ” Anderson said.

“We get stuff well below wholesale because of Janis’ relationships (with her suppliers). We try to pass all of that savings on to our customers and frankly they expect it.”

Albamonti and husband Ron intend to stay in town, in fact they live just above the store.

But she said she plans to spend winters in Florida, something she was not able to do while running Fun.

Anderson said she will be at the store, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, “eight days a week.”

“I know she’s going to do a great job,” said Albamonti. 

j.wojtas@theday.com