The anti-walmarts: specialty shops

Forums: Shopping, Stores, Shop, Independent Outlets, Shopping Mall
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I was in the market for a hostess gift. I know this particular hostess is very fond of birds and bird related items so I wandered in to the Backyard Bird Shop today. They sell all manner of things related to birds.

I found a beautiful Christmas tree ornament of a hummingbird. Small, elegant, just lovely. Perfect!

I started wondering about specialty stores. I've seen stores that sell only scotch tape and stores that sell only batteries and one particularly memorable store called Everywhere a Cat Cat that sold only cat related curios.

Camera stores and kitchen stores are still pretty common as are specialty food stores.

What weird, wacky or wonderful specialty shops do you know of?

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They just opened a breakfast cereal restaurant in Newark Del. I guess it serves the U of Del students.

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@farmerman,

Are they packaged cereals? The kind you find at the grocery? That's kind of odd.

There is a Bob's Red Mill Restaurant near my house where they only serve food made from Bob's Red Mill products but it is also the grainery (?) for Bob's Red Mill so it doesn't seem quite so weird.

In Oregon it seemed like the store that only sold umbrellas would do well but they closed within months. Meanwhile, the swimsuit store next door had been in business for decades.

I was at the mall not long ago and saw a store that only sold caps -- baseball style caps with anything and everything you could imagine printed on them. That seemed like a strange choice.

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well, we have a tractor supply center where all they sell is **** for your tractor. They even have thbose ole metal tractor seats where you could get Massey Ferguson embossed on yer butt in reverse.

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@farmerman,

Ummm... I'm not familiar with that particular brand or brand.

Care to show us?

Although I live in the city proper there is an animal feed store near my house.

Good art supply stores should count as specialty stores.

Allegra drums are made to order close by.

As is the made to order Joinery furniture.

I like to shop locally at specialty stores but I can't afford to shop at either of those last two places. I save up for certain art supplies though.

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We have all kinds of little stores here in town - Metropolis for dogs: all essentials, toys, beds, whatever the dog's heart desires.
We have a perfume store with large variety of European perfumes. One can
also create their own scent there.
There is a small but exclusive linen store, a neighborhood hardware store,
a lovely flower shop, a mens clothier shop, a little toy shop and many many more.

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I don't know if this counts as 'specialty', but there are shops that only sell stuff for lefties. I actually purchased for the former Mrs Stillwater - this spot still open! - a few of the things that lefties need, like scissors and a can opener.

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I was in the mall last week, and I saw a tiny store that I had never seen before. All they sold were different scented soaps. There was another store that just sold calendars. Who buys calendars after the beginning of a new year? Made a bet with Mr. P. that both stores would be gone after the holidays.

A store that WILL stay (provided the economy improves) is Teavana, a place that sells nothing but all kinds of tea, and tea accessories:

http://www.teavana.com/

BTW, for those who remembered that I will not go to malls between Tannksgiving and New Years', we had gone out to a restaurant right outside the mall, and decided to walk the meal off in the mall. I was absolutely shocked at how uncrowded it was.

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@Phoenix32890,

I can't see the calendar store lasting, but I know of two scented soap stores in NYC, one in Greenwich Village and one in midtown, that have been in operation for at least three yerars.

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@flyboy804,

Yeah, but that's NEW YORK, where there is a good market for just about anything.

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lot's of coffee places, but our local mall just opened a great tea store

Teaopia

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2352/2129499298_04ed6027b1.jpg

lot's of teas, and tea drinking accessories
plus fresh brewed teas

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@boomerang,

What weird, wacky or wonderful specialty shops do you know of?

The church; they sell nothing but make much ado about it!

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@Chumly,

Years ago, I worked in a place that financed manufacturers and distributors, based on their accounts receivable. One of their big accounts was a company that made religious objects that were sold in churches, and stores that specialized in religious stuff.

Apparently, the churches and religious stores did most of their business around Christmas and Easter time. As a result, the manufacturer needed long terms from the finance company, because they were only paid sporadically, and needed the financing in order to support the operation in the interim.

As would be expected, because of the long terms involved, the manufacturer paid hefty finance charges. As would also be expected the costs of producing these objects were passed on to the people who bought them.

So now you know why some of those religious objects are so darn expensive!

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The anti-walmarts: specialty shops

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