Saturday, I took my six-year-old, and we headed out for Philadelphia, Miss. at the recommendation of a friend. My friend had recommended two shops, and I had downloaded a downtown shopper’s guide from the Philadelphia Main Street web site.
Now, before I tell about our shopping experience, I have to admit a couple of frustrations I had before leaving home.
1. The Philadelphia web site frustrated me. The navigation was a bit confusing and/or tricky to work with.
2. The Main Street lacked a clear landing page, and the shopping guide was a PDF document (which was fine for printing), but there was no alternative on line listing of the shops with links to them, etc.
Now, in some communities, this might not be a huge deal. But in Philadelphia, shoppers come from far and wide (at least I would imagine) due to the huge tourism draw on the nearby Choctaw Indian Reservation which has two large resort casinos, an outstanding golf club and course, and a locally famous water park. Despite my frustration, however, I marked the stores I wanted to visit and we set out on our day trip.
Upon arrival in Philadelphia, we started our shopping jaunt at Oddlee Unik, a store NOT in the downtown area. This place is what can only be described as an "upscale junk store." No kidding. It is in a brightly painted shack of a building with a Saturday outdoor flea market surrounding it. Inside, the layout is scattered, but the merchandise is fun – and varied. The sales clerks were friendly, but it was too crowded to have what I would call a "luxury" experience. This wasn’t luxury, it was nearly to the point of digging, but not quite – perfect for a no-digging type like me to have a little fun without getting messy. There were some great Christmas ornaments, picture frames, gifts for all ages – infant and up. Candles, baby gear, purses, clothes, a few shoes, jewelry, home accessories – you name it, there was interesting stuff in all categories. Not to mention their huge selection of regionally popular Oddlee Unik t-shirts with funky southern sayings and original designs splattered across the back. We worked our way through this store leaving with a couple of picture frames for the kids, a pair of earrings and a new Christmas tree ornament. Prices were good, and this is definitely worth a stop for the bargain hunter in search of unique.
Next, we marched downtown – I could have stayed all day. I loved this downtown, and frankly, I’m a little upset that I didn’t hear about it sooner. I think their marketing stinks, and they have a lot to talk about. Not to mention that the shopper’s guide I downloaded from the Internet had lots of wrong directions on it, which caused me a bit of added frustration.
First stop, The Copper Penny. This store is hardly bigger than a walk-in closet, but what they have is outstanding. The friendly owners climbed ladders and chatted it up with my first grader while I bought new bling for my Christmas tree. I left with a great gift (wrapped beautifully) and some really outstanding, unique and quite affordably priced decorative ting ting and garland for my Christmas tree. I would describe this store as home decor and gifts – they had collectible items and lots of holiday decor crammed into the space that was one of the most beautifully decorated I would see all day. I will definitely be going back to this place soon.
Next, we went across the street (at the recommendation of the Copper Penny) to visit "Just 4 Fun Jewelry." This place was a downtown version of Oddlee Unik. We didn’t buy anything, and I wasn’t thrilled with the service, but I will go back because I think this place is for neat stuff and again, very similar to Oddlee Unik, so it’s ok. They should market better, especially their signature Southern Belle t-shirts with funny southern girl sayings – I’m going back for one of these sometime soon.
Next, we went back across the street to Dee’s Department Store. Their door was beautifully decorated with stunning garlands and custom wreaths. The shopper’s guide says "Fine clothing and accessories since 1954. Every age! Every spirit! Every style!" I hate to be harsh, but frankly, inside, I found a semi-rude sales associate who didn’t move from her stool. She did offer to help, but she didn’t say it like she meant it. The store looked stark. It reminded me of the thrown up leftover stores on the fringes of Soho – a couple of displays but mostly blank. I just didn’t get the vibe that this place was for everyone, and at that, we left without spending a nickel and without so much as a thank-you on our way out of the store.
We walked down Beacon Street to Carousel Gifts – our unanimous favorite stop of the day (although a terrible web site). The building is an old hardware store, and it has great windows, brick walls and rustic charm. The sales associate was the most friendly I have ever experienced. In a sweet voice, with direct eye contact and listening ears, she invited us in, listened to us and gave us a quick directional tour of the store. She spoke sincerely and directly when she made sure we would ask if we needed help. The selection in this store was terrific – with traditional and funky gifts at a good price point. Upstairs, there was an antique store in the gallery, and back downstairs, tucked in the side of the store was a "paint your own pottery" studio. What a surprise! My son is an avid artist, and he was thrilled at the opportunity to paint a Christmas ornament while I shopped. The owner, also a ceramics artist, sat by his side and instructed him gently while I enjoyed my shopping and made my selections. When they were done, we bought one of her flowers pots, and she invited him to come back and paint Terracotta pottery with her sometime soon. Our packages were wrapped and we were warmly sent on our way. I cannot emphasize enough how pleased I was with the experience in Carousel Gifts, and I believe it is a best kept secret of Mississippi boutique shopping.
A bit tired from all of our shopping, we stopped in at the Coffee Bean Cafe next door where I enjoyed a mocha latte and Miller had cotton candy ice cream. This is a great coffee shop, and we enjoyed laughing and looking through our bags. The mocha was the best I’ve had in a long time, and the ice cream "cup" was just that – an 8 oz cup filled to the brim with scooped ice cream – no one scoop here. Our total bill was $4.00 with tip. What a bargain for great atmosphere, terrific service, tasty treats and a cozy leather chair.
On our way out of town, we couldn’t help but stop by and visit the great girls at Kademi. This studio has become famous in Mississippi for their hand painted t-shirts with what I would describe as modern stained glass designs. Check it out for yourself. As always, these girls were enthusiastic and charming – their boutique was nothing less than expected and definitely worth the visit. This is Philadelphia’s local gem, and if you go there, you can’t skip this stop.
All in all, I would recommend Philadelphia to anyone – not for the casinos, but for the downtown shopping. And for those of you reading this for tips, here are my takeaway tips for the day:
1. Get out there! I am so disappointed that I didn’t know about this downtown before, but I am glad that I heard about it. Maybe with a bit of additional marketing, their word of mouth will grow to the benefit of these downtown store owners. Is your store and your downtown "out there?"
2. Top it off with a surprise! My favorite stores had a surprise hidden inside – paint your pottery studio, extra large cups of ice cream and special secret discounts on Christmas decorations… What surprise can you hide in your store and then use to lure in customers with buzz and great experiences?
3. Friendly matters. The tone for my shopping experience was set the moment I walked through the door with the tone of the welcome. Sincere, heartfelt welcomes and offers of assistance go a long way. Don’t rush it or sound frazzled – it’s important to be hospitable and hide the frayed edges. You will sell more – and foster repeat business.
