Longtime reseller Chris Feagin, proprietor of Hoover Vintage Gallery and City Suburban Antiques in Crestwood, opened his third vintage mall, Shades Mountain Mercantile, in Piggly Wiggly’s previous area at 770 Shades Mountain Plaza in April of this 12 months.
Shades Mountain Mercantile is an vintage mall that’s “slightly extra classic and upscale” and has vintage gadgets akin to furnishings and family equipment.
“We’ve got numerous distributors underneath one roof, each with a novel sort of persona of their merchandising,” Feagin mentioned. “All of it facilities again to the thought of recycling, repurposing and reusing classic gadgets and that sort of factor.”
Feagin mentioned he was approached with the thought of a 3rd retailer by the property proprietor of Hoover Vintage Gallery, who additionally owned the previous Piggly Wiggly area.
He mentioned he was happy with the efficiency of Hoover Vintage and thought placing an vintage mall within the former grocery retailer could be a profitable substitute.
“No person’s actually beating on anyone’s door to place something in an previous grocery retailer,” Feagin mentioned.
When he bought the provide, he mentioned, he had simply purchased a home close to Noccalula Falls throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
He mentioned he knew it will be a problem for him as a result of it will add one other commute to his weekly schedule.
“The chance got here alongside, and I’m not getting any youthful; I simply turned 50,” Feagin mentioned. “I simply thought, ‘Perhaps I received’t have the chance to do that once more. I actually wasn’t planning on doing this, nevertheless it’s a problem. Let’s see what we are able to do with this.’”
He mentioned the previous grocery retailer is slightly bigger than he would’ve chosen for a location that has a “‘neighborhood-sy’ sort really feel.”
Feagin mentioned there’s the next demand for merchandise at Shades Mountain Mercantile than his different shops, which required him to fill the placement with new gadgets quicker than he’s ever needed to earlier than.
Every of his shops has its personal persona, as do every of the distributors and the gadgets they promote, he mentioned.
It’s enjoyable to seek out which gadgets promote the very best in every of his shops, he mentioned.
“We simply must really feel our manner via and discover what that neighborhood reacts to and what they like,” Feagin mentioned. “They’re liking classic and a mix of mid-century sort gadgets.”
Feagin mentioned the brand new vintage mall has acquired numerous constructive suggestions and neighborhood assist.
“The suggestions’s been actually good,” he mentioned. “Those who reside across the retailer will are available in and say, ‘Thanks for doing this,’ and that’s a reward in and of itself as a result of they knew that constructing may’ve been sitting empty for a very long time and that’s an eyesore. That doesn’t present something for the neighborhood in any respect.”
He mentioned he additionally has pals close to Hoover that admire him filling up the area.
Feagin mentioned he’s been reselling classic and vintage gadgets since he was 15 years previous. He bought into it via his mother and father, who did it as a passion, he mentioned.
“I bought into it simply out of entrepreneurial spirit as a teen,” Feagin mentioned. “I took my grass-cutting cash, and I believed, ‘Hey, I’m going to go to property gross sales, yard gross sales and auctions with my mother and father and take slightly little bit of my grass-cutting cash and see if I should purchase one thing.’ … I’ve grown this out of slicing grass 35 years in the past.”