Wrae Collective to have grand opening Jan. 17

The much anticipated opening of Wrae Collective in Rainier is happening Saturday, Jan. 17, with doors opening at 11 a.m. The store follows a "refillery" model, offering items in bulk purchased by weight. Containers are available for purchase. Shoppers can also bring clean, dry containers from home, fill them with the products they need, and pay by the ounce.

"You're not forced to buy another plastic bottle every time you need soap, or a whole spice jar when you only need half an ounce," said founder and owner Miranda Rae. "This way of stocking up on your daily essentials is a more sustainable alternative because it cuts down on unnecessary packaging and lets you buy exactly the amount you'll actually use."

Wrae Collective offers a range of every day essentials that include personal care products (hair care, hand & body wash, lotions, oils, and oral health products); home cleaning supplies (laundry soap, dish soap, concentrated all-purpose cleaners, etc.); loose-leaf teas and medicinal herbs; spices, oils, and vinegars; pantry staples (flours, rice, sugars, salts, snacks, etc.); and home goods (bamboo scrubbers, wool dryer balls, beeswax candles, etc.).

There is a heavy emphasis on offering non-toxic and organic products and sustainability. "When I was thinking about opening a refillery, I knew I wanted to create a place that makes it really easy to take small steps to sustainability," said Rae. "One refill keeps plastic out of the landfill. One product swap keeps harmful ingredients out of your home. Shopping locally keeps your money in your community. All of this together makes sustainable living feel doable, not like another impossible standard to live up to."

Products are made in-house or locally sourced as much as possible. The personal-care products, home cleaning supplies, and teas are formulated and blended on-site. Many of the offered herbs are locally grown, and flours, grains, and honey are sourced from nearby producers. "We really do our best to keep our supply chain close to home and to support other small businesses and growers in our region," said Rae.

The creation of Wrae Collective has been a long time coming. Rae started her career in cosmetology and, while in school, she discovered "clean beauty" and herbal-infused skincare. She turned this into her first small business, a handmade makeup line sold online and at the Portland Saturday Market.

Rae took a break from cosmetology and went into banking. After she got married and had children, Rae found herself back in the world of skincare, searching for gentler and healthier products for her family. This led to a deep dive into conventional ingredients in skincare and cleaning products.

"During this time, I tried many of the popular, 'non-toxic' cleaning brands and was honestly disappointed by how they performed, so I started formulating my own," she said. "After a lot of trial and error, I finally created formulas that actually worked. I shared them with friends, family, and neighbors, and the feedback was really encouraging. That push is what led me to start my second business in 2022, selling online and in-person. [It] eventually grew and evolved into what is now Wrae Collective."

Rae has thought about opening her own store for years. It was after visiting a refillery in Portland that things clicked into place on what that business could look like. In 2024, Rae started a business making private-label bulk and tallow-based skincare products and soaps for other cosmetics brands. She was looking for a larger production space and stumbled upon her current location. During the walk-through, she could see a pathway to bring her vision to life. "This wasn't just a workspace," she said. "This was going to be a refillery and community shop. That's when the idea for Wrae Collective really clicked into place and became something we actively pursued."

Rae and her husband, Nick, moved into the building in January 2025. The two have transformed the look and feel of the space. Rae has plans to host community events and classes. "Some ideas already on the list include a kids' night with simple and fun hands-on activities, soap making 101, and DIY teas and tinctures," she said. "I'd also love to open the space to other local makers and educators to host their own classes, provide a meeting spot for groups like the Chamber of Commerce, and potentially use it as a drop location for Azure customers. The goal is for Wrae Collective to feel like a community spot, not just a place to buy things."

While they identify what works best for the community and their family, Wrae Collective, located at 102 East B. Street in Rainier, will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. "We're really looking forward to meeting our neighbors, getting to know the community even better, and helping make everyday essentials feel a little cleaner, a little kinder to the planet, and a lot more local," said Rae.