Swedish dish towels and coats made from old blankets. Wooden spoons and handmade brushes for every occasion.
If these are a few of your favorite things then be sure to check out the newly re-opened Springfield Mercantile Co., located at 326 E. Commercial Street.
Katie Shelton purchased Springfield Mercantile in October and the quaint shop, specializing in slow-living goods and handmade gifts, re-opened in the beginning of December. Every nook and cranny of the store is bursting with unique items, including cleaning linens, copper scouring pads, paper lunch sacks and much more.
Customers who shopped at the previous iteration of Springfield Mercantile Co. will recognize many of the handmade items displayed throughout the store, Shelton said.
“I appreciated the things that Molly had to offer and I bought the rest of her stock,” Shelton said, speaking of Molly Brown, the company's previous owner. “And then I have just been filling the shop with things that kind of reflect my personality and what I would like to offer to the community.”
Small business highlighting other small businesses
One of the prospects of the new company that excites Shelton the most is being able to showcase other small businesses making incredible handmade items, she said.
Springfield Mercantile Co. aims to be “a small business highlighting other small businesses,” Shelton said. “I've been in small business for a long time, so that brings me a lot of joy.”
There's plenty to highlight. On one display, there are natural dry shampoos made by Shelton's friend, Mikellah Scheele, who owns Evergreen Hair House. On another shelf, there's hand-poured candles made by Paro Home, which is owned by Sarah Rhodes, Shelton's friend out of Arizona.
There are Merchant & Mills items, like beautiful scissors and pins for sewing, which Shelton purchased with the company. Another friend, Amy Taylor of MJ Vintage Supply, helps Shelton source many of the old textiles for revamping, she said.
Pandemic shutters sales
Springfield Mercantile Co. launched in 2017, with its first sale on Black Friday of that year, Brown said in an email. Like many of its retail peers, the COVID-19 pandemic and the stay-at-home orders that followed shuttered sales at the boutique shop. Brown had to close the brick-and-mortar store in 2021, but kept online sales open.
Shelton purchased Springfield Mercantile Co. from Brown in Oct. 2023, including the company website, social media and some of its inventory. Shelton and Brown declined to disclose the purchase price.
Brown hasn't completely walked away from the business. Shelton said the two have become close through the transaction, and Brown is always available to help when Shelton has a question.
“I would call Molly my mentor,” Shelton said. “She specifically told me that she could see me doing magical things with” the company. “So I'm trying to continue Molly's legacy, but make it mine as well.”
With only a month elapsing between the time she received the keys and the time she opened the store, Shelton raced to open the shop before the holiday rush disappeared, she said. Despite the quick turnaround, turnout was good for the soft opening with about 50 people showing up, Shelton said.
“The goal was to just get open as fast as possible before the holiday season ends,” Shelton said. “Just curating a shop in a month has been an endeavor.”
Sewing studio, craft workshops
Shelton has her own sewing studio in the back of the store. She will make some of the shop's most unique wares, like backpacks and sweaters made from recycled quilts and blankets.
The company will begin offering technical sewing workshops next year, likely by the end of February, Shelton said.
“Once I get settled and since we're going into the slow season for retail, I feel like [the workshops] will come to fruition pretty quickly,” Shelton said. “It's very, very well lit back there, so it lends itself to that.”
In the front of the shop, Shelton also plans to offer “craft workshops,” which will include activities like natural textile dying, punch needling, crocheting and water coloring, she said. Shelton's friend, Ashleigh Hawkins, who teaches workshops at Finley Farms, is going to help with with the classes.
“Whatever there's a demand for I'm interested in either teaching it myself or finding someone to teach,” Shelton said. “I love teaching. I've hosted craft hangouts in my house since forever.”
From blogger to business owner
Shelton has always been into slow-living goods, fashion and the do-it-yourself (DIY) lifestyle. She started her blog, Skunkboy, in 2008 and contributed to other blogs on subjects like home and kid DIY projects, she said. She was a contributing writer to the popular blog, “A Beautiful Mess.”
“I am very into home décor, especially eclectic, unique things,” Shelton said. “Old, tattered things can have a new life if you sew them into something else.”
She soon started to experiment with soft sculpture, or what she calls “fancy stuffed animals.” She sold many sculptures on her blog.
Shelton is also in a popular 90's cover band, The Mixtapes. With its touring schedule, the band is a full-time gig, she said. She has plans to eventually hire some help at the store.
The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. On Saturday, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Springfield Mercantile Co. will be closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, she said. Shelton plans to host a grand opening early next year, likely in January, she said.
The more than 3,000-square foot building is owned by Dan Johnson. In March 2023, the property was assessed at $38,510, according to the Missouri Greene County Assessor's Office records.
The vibe on C-Street
Shelton has been a fan of the Commercial Street community for a long time, she said. Even before owning a business on the strip, she frequently shopped at the vintage stores along the street.
“I don't think there's a more charming street in Springfield,” Shelton said, adding that other Commercial Street businesses have welcomed her with open arms. “There's something very special about Commercial Street.”
Shelton's focus for this year will be to get the look and the feel of the shop up to her standards and to begin hosting workshops, she said. While she plans to continue to invest in the company's website to draw more online customers, there are no plans at this time for a brick-and-mortar expansion, she said. With a newly reopened shop, her hands are plenty full.
The opportunity to buy the company couldn't have come at a better time, Shelton said.
“I've been looking for my next step in what I want to do creatively, and I feel like this is an amazing opportunity for me to...connect with the community,” Shelton said. “For myself, it feels like a natural next step.”
