Believe it or not, all of this started in a backyard shed.
Long before there was an Emporium, there was a little online boutique, a whole lot of ideas, and plenty of loading up and setting up at events.
Back then, I was a crafter too (and if we're being truthful, I still am). We spent years setting up at events alongside makers, artists, crafters, and other small businesses; and I was constantly amazed by the things people created.
I'd walk past someone's booth and think, Okay, this is different. This is GOOD.
So I'd take their business card and tell them, "I'm keeping this because one day I'm going to open a store, and when I do, I'd love to have your things in it."
And I actually kept them.
Then "one day" finally came.
When we opened our first brick-and-mortar store, I pulled out a handful of those cards I'd saved over the years and started reaching out to some of the makers I'd never forgotten.
That's how our vendor community began.
Not from a business plan. Not from following a trend. Just from years of meeting incredibly talented people and thinking they deserved a place where more people could discover what they do.
Over time, our little store grew.
We expanded. We welcomed more makers and merchants. We brought in other boutiques. And eventually, all of those different pieces came together to become Emporium of Abingdon.
Today, when you walk through our doors, you'll find a little bit of everything; and that's exactly the point.
Different makers. Different merchants. Different boutiques. Different stories.
Somehow, they all work together.
It's a little eclectic.
It's occasionally chaotic.
Okay, maybe it's usually chaotic.
But there's a whole lot of heart behind the chaos.
And perhaps my favorite part is knowing that an idea I carried around with a stack of business cards more than a decade ago became a place where small businesses can grow together.
Turns out, I really did need those cards. 💜