A little over a year ago, Mary Kate Nave was running her small business Wood + Cloth as a vendor at a vintage facility on Highway 72. She was a full-time nurse, mother of two, and working hard to pursue her passion with Wood + Cloth in the little spare time she had.
Today, she’s the proud owner of the same store she used to be a vendor at and has worked tirelessly to give it a beautiful overhaul under its new name, Vintage 72.
Vintage 72 in Madison, Alabama
Nave and her husband Cody explain that their store still falls under the same general concept as it was before they purchased it – a vintage market – but that now Vintage 72 has a new name and look and lots of exciting new things in store to offer the community.
Nave explains that Vintage 72 in Madison, Alabama houses roughly 30 small businesses under one roof. Vendors range from custom builders to antique carriers to her own shop Wood + Cloth, which carries all brand new items.
When asked how one can become a vendor within their store, she said that right now there’s a waiting list that’s over 70 vendors deep.
Vintage 72 Market Days
Nave wants to be able to give as many vendors as possible the opportunity to sell their goods, which is why they’ve created Vintage 72 Market Days.
Intended to start the beginning of April but delayed due to the pandemic, Vintage 72 Market Days will launch as soon as they are given the green light to do so. Occurring one weekend per month on Saturday and Sunday, Market Days will feature outdoor booths in the front, sides, and behind their building. Market Days allow the 70+ vendors on the waitlist the opportunity to come in and set up shop to sell their goods.
Food trucks will be on-site as well. Nave says that as long as a vendor has enough stock to sell for two days, they’re welcome to get in touch and join the fun.
(Author note: I personally cannot wait!)
Owning a Small Business During the Pandemic
When asked how COVID-19 has affected business, Nave timidly chuckles, saying that having their doors locked to customers forced them to implement new ways of selling really fast.
“We started doing social media Live sales, which has saved our business.”
Nave says that several times throughout April, she fired up Facebook and Instagram Live and spent roughly 45 minutes walking through the store showing customers what was available for purchase.
“I never imagined that people would sit and watch these videos, but they have!”
Customers would then comment and commit to buying via social media or they would call to place their order for either curbside pick-up or delivery.
She says that this has been so successful that they’ll plan to continue for those who prefer to shop via this tech-friendly option.
Due to the rapid shut-down, Nave says that they were also forced to consider building a website much faster than they anticipated. It’s now up and running, which she hopes customers will use as an additional vehicle for shopping the store.
Vintage 72 officially opens today and will be operating within their normal business hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 – 4 p.m. on Sunday.
In addition to Vintage 72’s website, they can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.
