SHIFT isn’t what most people expect when they first walk through the door in Narberth. It’s warm, it smells incredible, and it feels — as more than one customer has put it — like stepping into a breath of fresh air.

There are carefully sourced non-toxic personal care products and cleaning refills, yes. But there’s also a rack of curated secondhand clothing, locally made goods, and a team who will refill your dish soap while telling you about the next knife sharpening pop-up, clothing swap, or local maker event. For the growing number of Main Line families who stop in as a fixture of their routine, that’s exactly the point.

Each year, the Main Line Parent team asks readers who they love and why through a ballot that opens in December and runs through Valentine’s Day. Families don’t just vote; they share heartfelt, specific endorsements in their own words. Their stories make the annual LOVE List a sincerely trustworthy collection of referrals because every nomination reflects a local family’s real experience.

Main Line Parent Members like SHIFT collect endorsements year-round directly on their Profile Page. Each endorsement counts toward the following year’s recognition. SHIFT has more than 40 5-star reviews on their Profile Page — a testament to how consistently, and how deeply, Main Line families trust this one-of-a-kind refillery, sustainable lifestyle shop, and community hub.

Congratulations SHIFT Sustainable Goods & Services, Main Line Parent 2026 LOVE Award Winner – Best Sustainable Lifestyle Shop

A Library Talk, Two Moms, and a Shared Vision for Something Different

The story of SHIFT begins with a community conversation at the Narberth Community Library. Eleisha Eagle had just started her own low-waste journey when a friend suggested she attend an upcoming talk led by Kimberley Bezak, a local mom and occupational therapist who had been living a near-zero-waste lifestyle since 2013. While raising two daughters, Kimberley’s household was generating just one bag of trash a year while building community around the idea that sustainability did not have to feel like a sacrifice.

Eleisha walked in curious. The conversation that followed helped spark what would become SHIFT: a shared vision for a beautiful, practical, community-rooted refillery in Narberth.

“I went up to her afterward and said, ‘Do you have any interest in opening a refillery?’” Eleisha said. “And it kind of took off from there.”

For Kimberley, the timing felt right. She had the lived experience and the community roots but she hadn’t imagined doing something this big alone. Together, they envisioned a shop where you’d walk in because it was beautiful, and return because it was also good for you, good for the planet, and good for the local economy.

Fast forward to 2026, SHIFT is marking five years since its earliest beginnings as a pop-up shop and four years in its Haverford Avenue storefront, with more than 85,000 single-use containers diverted from the landfill and a shop that Narberth has fully claimed as its own.

What It Takes for a Product to Earn a Spot on Their Shelves

Ask either founder how SHIFT decides what products to carry and the answer is never about margins. It’s about trust.

“It means we’ve tested it. We’ve looked at the ingredients. We’ve compared them against the Environmental Working Group or any sort of toxicity reports. We do the deep dive,” said Eleisha, who personally tests any face product because she tends to break out easily. A reaction means they won’t carry it. 

Kimberley brings a healthcare lens to the process of selecting products. After more than 15 years working in hospital settings, she approaches product selection with clinical rigor. She looks for hormone disruptors and other ingredients families don’t always recognize while also considering circularity: does the product come in containers that can be returned to the vendor, sanitized, and refilled? 

And then there’s the non-negotiable: the products have to actually work. “We’ve all been burned on organic products that just don’t cut it,” Eleisha said. “We want you to come in and love the product — not feel like it’s a sacrifice.”

Ali H., a Main Line Parent Community member said, “I love that every product has been tested by the owners, so I don’t have to go through the trial-and-error process on my own.” 

The Shift That Happens When You Walk Through the Door

SHIFT welcomes its share of skeptics: people who’ve tried natural deodorant and been disappointed, people who are braced to pay twice as much, people who’ve never heard of a shampoo bar and aren’t sure they want to.

These are some of SHIFT’s favorite customers.

“Deodorant is always our number one refill and people will come in saying, ‘I’ve tried every natural deodorant. None of them work.'” Kimberley said. “And we’re like, ‘Just try a little bit.’ And then they’re immediately back — telling everyone.” 

She recounted a longtime customer who finally tried the deodorant after years of gentle encouragement. “She bolted over to me and said, ‘You were right. I cannot believe it!'”

The refillery model itself lowers the barrier. Instead of buying a full bottle of curl cream on faith, customers can take home an ounce. Cost skeptics walk in expecting to spend more and walk out surprised. 

“They want to try ten loads of laundry detergent, they get to the checkout, and they’re like, ‘Wait — how was it only a couple of dollars?'” Kimberley said. “That tiny trust build breaks down so many barriers.”

Beyond refills, SHIFT carries curated secondhand clothing, vintage finds, and locally made goods. The team approaches every visit the same way. “We don’t pressure people,” Kimberley said. “We guide them. You need laundry detergent? We help you find the right one for your house. Whatever you need that day, we’re here.”

More Than a Store: SHIFT as a Community Anchor

SHIFT operates as what both founders call a “third space” — a place people come not just to buy things, but to land. Customers debrief. They breathe. They ask what events are coming up. “We always joke that SHIFT offers refills and therapy,” Kimberley said.

The programming reflects this: hands-on workshops, clothing swaps, local vendor pop-ups, knife sharpening, composting drop-offs, and school presentations. Partnerships with nonprofits, schools, and businesses help organizations make practical, sustainable shifts in their own operations.

The monthly newsletter has become a small ritual for regulars. “One customer told me she waits until she can sit down with a cup of coffee and no distractions, and just savors it,” Kimberley said. “That has really stuck with me.”

“SHIFT is so much more than the products they sell. I began to understand that living a low-waste life is not difficult, and I have been able to incorporate many of the ideas into my life. SHIFT is an invaluable asset to all.“

— Patti C., Narberth-area SHIFT customer

SHIFT doesn’t do sales. Doesn’t run promotions. Doesn’t tell followers to buy anything. In a media environment where every inbox feels relentless, that restraint has become its own kind of marketing — the kind that earns trust instead of demanding attention.

What Comes Next for SHIFT 

As SHIFT moves into its next chapter, Kimberley remains committed to carrying the mission forward with the same philosophy that has guided SHIFT from the start. Don’t push it. Let it grow.

Kimberley wants more Main Line families to discover the shop, making Narberth a destination for thoughtful, community-rooted shopping. She envisions more ripple effect — the customer who comes in for a laundry refill and leaves having met a local maker, booked a workshop, and found a vintage dress.

Asked what she wants families to feel when they finish reading about SHIFT, Kimberley doesn’t hesitate: “Hopeful. Right now people are grasping for threads of hope. I want them to feel like there’s a glimmer of light — that they  can vote with their dollars, invest in their community, and have some control.”

SHIFT is located at 250 Haverford Avenue in Narberth and is open Tuesday–Saturday, 10 am–6 pm and Sunday 11 am–4 pm. Browse the Refillery Menu, explore upcoming events, or join their mailing list for the monthly newsletter worth savoring with a cup of coffee.

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Photos courtesy of SHIFT, as seen in the Best for Families Guide.

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