Five years ago, in March 2014, Main St. Antiques & Design Gallery set up shop in a beautifully restored old textile mill in Mooresville, NC. It encompasses 83,000 sq. ft. of shopping area with approximately 470 booths run by 320 vendors. But this isn’t a flea market; its goal is to maintain 85% of the booths with antique, vintage, collectible, and design items. Manager Mike Reed shared, “We’ve worked hard to make this location a shopping destination.”
Reed mentioned that many of the local patrons bring out-of-state visitors there, and it also has weekly shoppers from adjacent states, such as Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina. While open 7 days a week, the bulk of its sales occur Friday-Sunday, with spring, fall, and the holidays being peak seasons.
Its growing sales volume can largely be attributed to the quality of products it sells, the atmosphere, and marketing.
The Enchanted Olive and Bernice’s Tea & Spice, both established Mooresville stores, made the switch from downtown to Main St. Antiques. Vendors can apply by email or walk-in request. They are required to provide photos of the type of items they would like to sell. Main St. Antiques curates its vendors in order to provide a good look and variety for its customers.
“High ceilings, wide aisles—our location is very shopper friendly. We’re also pet friendly and proud of it,” Reed emphasized. In addition to internet and social media advertising, it uses a targeted sign program: billboards on I-77 and the NCDOT tourist-oriented directional signs (the brown attraction signs at highway exits).
Booth sizes are 8×9, 10×12, and 12×16. Rent is $1.50 per sq. ft. per month plus 10% of the sales, which covers credit card fees and sales tax. First and last month’s rent plus a $50 deposit is required. Vendors purchase their booths on a month-to-month basis and can cancel with 30 days’ notice.
Its next big event is the Spring Fling Antiques & Things on May 4. There will be a classic car show, food, drink, giveaways, live music, and special activities for the kids.
Main St. Antiques & Design Gallery is located at 500 S. Main St., Mooresville, NC, right next to Alino’s Pizzeria and The Barcelona Burger and Beer Garden. Open Mon.-Sat., 10am-6pm, and Sunday, 10am-5pm. For more information, visit its website.
