Luke Judge

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DRACUT — It seems like months since the sign in front of the Coravos Plaza on Lakeview Avenue has been promising, “Coming Soon, CardSmart.”

Last week, without fanfare, the official CardSmart sign went up over the door at the long-vacant location and the marquee was changed to “Now Open, CardSmart.”

“We were trying so hard to get everything ready by Easter, but it just didn’t happen,” said store co-owner Seija Lherault, adding that since last week’s soft opening, there has been a steady stream of customers in the store. “Everybody has been so nice. So welcoming. They all say, “this is just what Dracut needed.”

In addition to greeting cards for every occasion, there are collectibles, such as Precious Moments and Berenstain figurines, coffee mugs, vases, glasses, costume jewelry, such as earrings, bracelets and necklaces, and 5,200 square feet of knickknacks, trinkets and tchotchkes. Catering to the latest in fashion fads, Lherault’s store carries Switchflops, which are flip-flop sandals with interchangeable straps. And speaking of switches, the store also carries Miche Bags, designer handbags with interchangeable shells. An entire room of scented candles of all shapes and sizes is situated just off the main showroom.

The premise of CardSmart stores, explains Lherault, is that every greeting card in the store — and there are thousands — is 50 percent below the marked price. So is every gift bag and every roll of wrapping paper.

in the store and then they see everything else,” says Lherault, whose exotic European accent is difficult to pin down. “I’m originally from Finland but I’ve lived all over Europe.”

Lherault opened her first CardSmart store in Westford 15 years ago. When the lease was up at the end of the year and she couldn’t come to terms with her landlord, she decided to pull up stakes and find another location. She also owns and operates the CardSmart store in the East Gate Plaza on Route 110 in Chelmsford, which she opened about six years ago.

Her husband Reggie, a retired school teacher who worked in the Lowell public school system for 35 years, said it was fate that brought the couple to Dracut.

“Steve Coravos wandered into the Westford store looking for a gift and said he would love to have a store like this for a spot he owned in Dracut,” Reggie Lherault said. “So when we were looking to move, we looked him up. He’s been great. The town has been great.”

“We love the location,” adds Seija (pronounced ‘SAY-ya). “We are right next door to Mama’s (Italian restaurant) so we have a lot of people who come in before or after they have their meal. It’s wonderful.”

Lherault has an artistic eye and can easily spot that piece she knows would be a hot seller. She does not buy in bulk, but rather she’ll may buy just three or four of one item.

“If you come in looking for 10 of something, we probably won’t have it,” says Reggie Lherault. “If you come in looking for 10 different things, we’ll have it.”

For the sports enthusiast, there is an assortment of plaques, cups, mugs, figurines and other paraphernalia.

“And because Dracut has been such a good neighbor, we decided to do something special,” said Seija, pointing to a shelf of small stuffed bears wearing Middie blue hooded sweatshirts with Dracut blazoned across the front. “That would be a lovely graduation gift.”

CardSmart is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., in addition to Saturday. The store is also open Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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