Budding entrepreneurs throughout the CSRA have a new hub to sell their wares in Augusta.
The Maker and Merchant, a new vendor boutique at Shoppes on Furys Ferry, had its grand opening at 10 a.m. Friday morning at to a steady crowd, says owner Coles Doyle, a day after a soft opening event for friends and family.
The store’s varied inventory ranges from boutique clothing to jewelry, local coffee and candles, to even books and games from some 50 vendors based within a 60 mile radius of Augusta.
Merchandise is selected via an application process, Doyle explained, in which interested sellers apply for space in the store, choosing the size of the space and what kind of section, whether a table or a wall.
“We go through all those applications and curate the score and assign spaces and go from there,” said Doyle.
While The Maker and Merchant offices are based in Augusta, this store is in fact its fifth location. While working as a marketing director for Hull Property Group, Doyle would organize pop-up contests in which small businesses could win holiday season space in one of the company’s shopping malls.
“I saw that there were just so many really unique small businesses that wanted to have a physical space, but maybe couldn’t take a big space, because all the overhead and just the size of the space and the employee cost and all of that,” she said.
The first store opened in Auburn, Ala., where Doyle first held the pop-up contest. The boutique has since opened shops in Tampa, Fl. and Asheboro and Concorn, N.C.
Friday’s launch saw a long line of curious customers at the door, Doyle says, a crowd that stayed steady well into the afternoon, which bodes well as Christmastime soon approaches.
“There’s really something for everybody in the store, whether you’re looking for clothes or kids clothes, or you’re looking for a gift or jewelry,” Doyle said. “So we’re excited to be going into the holiday season.”
The Maker and Merchant Augusta is located at 370 Furys Ferry Rd., Ste. 1, in Martinez.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering general reporting for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com
