Whether You're Looking for Rare Records or Handmade Glassware, Check Out America's 15 Favorite Mom & Pop Retail Shops If you're into unique gifts and supporting local artisans, these local retail establishments are for you.
This story appears in the September 2024 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Entrepreneur asked Foursquare to dig into its data, to reveal which small businesses America loved the most. Together we created America's Favorite Mom & Pop Shops™, a list of 150 local, independently owned and operated businesses across 10 categories — including, yes, retail establishments.
To see every category, as well as the methodology behind the list, click here. Below are the 15 companies included in the retail category.
1. R.A. Fountain General Store
Fountain, NC | Company website
Don't let the name fool you: R.A. Fountain General Store isn't some old-school general store that sells crackers and newspapers. It's a café, bookstore, ice cream shop, and most uniquely, it calls itself "a purveyor of eclectic music" — because the store also acts as a music venue, hosting local and touring musicians for the last 21 years.
This store has history. Its 14,000-square-foot building was built in 1917, which at the time made it the second-largest business building in Pitt County. The original R.A. Fountain & Sons closed in the mid-1960s, brought back to life by Alex Albright in 2003. Today, there's a lot on the menu. In addition to its full calendar of musical and artistic events, as well as local visual art that's sold in the show, it also serves fresh-squeeze lemonade, orangeade, limeade, ice-cream, coffee, moon pies, and RC colas.
2. Thames Glass
Newport, RI | Company website
Thames Glass sells beautiful objects made of class, and it's all the work of one man: Matthew Buechner. He's an artist who discovered glassblowing at the age of 18, learned alongside his father, and developed advanced techniques at Hartwick College and at the Glasshutte Eisch in Frauenau, Germany. He opened this Newport, RI glass business back in 1981.
Buechner's style is both distinctive and versatile. His original pieces range from beautifully ornate glass shells and fishes, to beautiful glassware for your kitchen. He crafts finely textured vases, glass animals, and even Christmas ornaments, all of which can be purchased both in-person and online. If you're interested in learning the art of glassblowing yourself, Thames Glass also offers glassblowing lessons where you can make ornaments, paperweights, glass pumpkins, bowls, or vases. Stop by the store to browse the collection and even get a glimpse of Buechner at work, creating his magnificent glass art.
3. Wood Werks Supply
Columbus, OH | Company website
For over 30 years, Wood Werks Supply has operated as a retail woodworking store. This shop is perfect for carpenters, contractors, educators, and even hobbyists who are looking to buy just about any tool needed to work with wood. This mom-and-pop store has expanded over the years to be one of the largest woodworking stores in the country, which shows the power of small business. The showroom alone displays thousands (yes, thousands) of different power tools.
Wood Werks Supply also made history as the very first store in the nation to integrate a Rockler store within the showroom, making WWS a one-stop shop for hardware, tools, lumber, and expert advice from people in the industry. Categories of products sold at this shop include table saws, bandsaws, track saws, drum sanders, drill presses, lathes, planers, jointers, CNC machines, chisels, turning tools, measuring products, sharpening tools, dust collectors, clamps, organizers, and workbenches. (As promised, it's a lot!). If you cannot make it into the Columbus store, an extensive online shop can cover any of your woodworking needs.
4. Yuri's Records
South Gate, CA | Company website
Yuri's Records in South Gate, CA combines two of the coolest artforms: vinyl records and skateboarding. At Yuri's, you can purchase all things vinyl in just about every musical genre, along with skateboards, roller skates, skating supplies, safety gear, CDs, classic video games, guitar supplies, headwear, and more.
The music at Yuri's isn't just contained to the records, though. It also hosts live music in a variety of genres — everything from punk to indie, ska/reggae to 60s garage. Follow their socials to stay updated on new record releases, the latest skate decks, and to find out about upcoming events. If you're not in the area but interested in supporting Yuri's, they have a big online shop where any of these items can be browsed and purchased.
Related: 4 Retail Marketing Strategies for Small Shops
5. The Sports Lure
Buffalo, WY | Company website
In 1968, Dave and Sandy Todd bought The Sport Lure and began to shape it into the sporting and outdoor goods store it is today. Before the Todd family ownership, this small business only sold fishing tackle, ammunition and, strangely enough, Converse All-Star Athletic Shoes. Now the store is stocked with everything you could possibly need to explore the outdoors. Here you can purchase clothing, footwear, skis, bikes, water bottles, sunglasses, and more, and find daily rentals of hardtail mountain bikes, dull suspension mountain bikes, e-bikes, and Bakcou e-bikes.
The Todd family has now owned and operated the store for three generations, and is always thinking about new ways to serve outdoor lovers. They now also run a full repair shop, offering services such as binding mounting and testing, snowboard tuning and waxing, ski tuning and waxing, skate sharpening, bike repairs, and archery repairs.
6. Magic Sleeper
Pottstown, PA | Company website
Magic Sleeper has provided customers with high quality mattresses since 1979, remaining fiercely family-owned even as it has expanded. For three generations, the Santos family has educated customers on different mattress types, materials, and has made mattresses for specific circumstances such as RV and boat mattresses, custom sized mattresses, and more. They even made a custom mattress for Al Pacino's New York apartment!
Magic Sleeper makes a variety of mattresses so that there is something for every kind of sleeper. Choose from mattress categories like innerspring, wrapped coils, double sided, hand tufted, commercial, foam, big & tall, and latex. They even give you an option in-store and online to design your own mattress. Magic Sleeper is more than just a mattress company; it also sells a variety of other furniture items for the whole house like sofas, loveseats, recliners, sectionals, ottomans, stools, bookcases, bed frames, dining room tables, and more. They also have a sleep number repair shop, if you're looking for a professional to fix your bed.
7. Bibliotech
Shawnee, OK | Company website
You can geek out at Bibliotech! This isn't just the largest bookstore in Shawnee — it's a haven for books, comics, games, and collectibles, and has an impressive selection of used, vintage, and rare books from all literary genres, including comic books. (And yes, it also carries new and back issues of those comics.)
If you're not much of a reader, Bibliotech also sells a variety of board games, card games, D&D, and table-top games. Unique collectibles at Bibliotech include toys, statues, and (its specialty) Star Wars memorabilia. If you're looking for something rare and specific, the knowledgeable staff at Bibliotech are ready to help you find what you are looking for, or offer suggestions of what books you will like based on your preferences.
8. Audio Perfection
Minneapolis, MN | Company website
Audio Perfection provides audio solutions for venues and homes, tailoring personal sonic experiences to each and every customer. You can shop a variety of products like audio & video electronics, speakers, headphones, power conditioners, stands, turntables, and accessories. Audio Perfection carries high quality brands such as Anthony Gallo Acoustics, Atma-sphere, AudioQuest, Audio Research, Aurender, Bel canto, Esoteric Audio, Magnepan, Theta Digital, and dozens more.
Already have audio equipment but in need of a repair? Audio Perfection offers a variety of services such as turntable setup, any type of audio repair, phono cartridges, as well as in-home installations. If you're not sure exactly what your home, office, or event space needs, Audio Perfection employs sonic experts to assist you in finding the perfect (it's in the name after all!) products for your sound needs. This business educates and informs customers on the types of sonic experiences and makes listening an artform.
9. Books Are Magic
Brooklyn, NY | Company website
Books Are Magic is an independent bookstore owned by award-winning novelist Emma Straub and her husband, graphic designer Michael Fusco-Straub. Originating in Cobble Hill in 2017, Books Are Magic has now expanded to a second location in Brooklyn Heights. The store houses a diverse selection of authors and subjects, and fosters community with dozens of monthly events like author talks and live "storytimes" for kids.
Books Are Magic is run by an author, and the shop has a distinctive writerly touch. It's always filled with a mix of best-sellers alongside topical and specific categories such as "Hot/Sad Girl Books" and "Climate Dystopia Reads." The brick-walled, colorful and cozy ambiance invites you not only to browse, but to stay a while and hang out, comforted by literature.
10. Chalet
Wilmette, IL | Company website
Since 1917, Chalet has been serving its local community as a yard care, landscape, and home décor store. Chalet sells everything from outdoor plants to houseplants, garden essentials to apparel, planters to products for pets, and so much more. They also offer expert landscape services to the surrounding area such as design and build, maintenance, enhancements, planter arrangements, and can be hired for one-time help or on a repeating weekly basis.
As a community center, Chalet also hosts a variety of events and classes to educate people on plant life. Attend lectures on pollinators, group meditation classes, repotting workshops, foliage classes, harvest festivals, and petting zoos. Not sure exactly what kind of greenery your home needs? Chalet has shopping consultants ready to assist you and answer all your questions. Explore its blog, which is updated monthly with information on in-season plants and flowers.
11. Crescent City Books
New Orleans, LA | Company website
Crescent City Books has been slinging books in the historic French Quarter since 1992. If you're interested in rare and historical texts, you'll love its collection of books that are up to 500 years old. Its tall wooden shelves overflow with books, and invite you to get lost in the stacks. It also sells a variety of antique maps and prints, which you can browse in-store.
Because Crescent City is a used bookstore, many titles are always coming in and out of the shop shelves — so there's always another reason to revisit the place. Dig through bins of paper ephemera to learn about the history of the surrounding area. Crescent City is always posting its latest finds on Instagram, along with updates from the shop cat Wes, who loves to pose with the books. Crescent City Books also makes its own books, which (of course) you can find in the shop.
12. The Village Retail
Atlanta, GA | Company website
This gem in Atlanta's historic Ponce City Market offers a curated selection of unique, high-quality products from local Black-owned businesses. It's the brainchild of Atlanta luminary Dr. Lakysha Hallmon, who recognized that there was often a disconnect between wonderful Black-owned brands and customers looking to buy from them.
If you aren't in Atlanta but would still love to peruse The Village Retail's selection of apparel, jewelry, home goods, gifts, cosmetics and games, the boutique's website allows for a seamless online shopping experience. Check it out for your next gift, and have exciting creations from Black-owned brands delivered straight to your doorstep.
Related: 3 Reasons the Future is Still Bright for Small Retail
13. U'sta-B-New
Bloomington, IN | Company website
U'sta-B-New is an antique shop that focuses on housewares, furniture, collectibles, clothing, jewelry, and toys — all of which, you know, used to be new You can spend a whole afternoon in this store, picking through an endless array of antiques and collectibles. If you're in the Bloomington area and are decorating a home or office, U'sta-B-New is an excellent place to buy historic furniture and to find housewares specific to your style.
U'sta-B-New is not just any old antique store, but has also established itself as a community builder. It hosts events and parties to promote sustainability and art. At decoupage art parties, for example, event-goers paint products to give vintage wares a new life. And even though U'sta-B-New traffics in the old, it's always bringing in new old things — meaning there's always another new reason to visit.
14. Vines Art Glass
Bandon, OR | Company website
Vines Art Glass is the storefront of artist Bryce Dimitruk, who has been creating glass art since 1998. Dimitruk studied under famous glass artist Steven Lundberg before settling in Bandon, OR in 2004 and acquiring Vines Art Glass. Dimitruk's art has a distinctive style — a raw gathering of molten glass decorated with shards and chips. He makes it at the store, and his work has been exhibited in various private art collections and even at the 33 Club at Disneyland.
Some of Dimitruk's most popular glass works are swirling, vibrant ornaments, which can be viewed both online and in his shop. He also creates a variety of shapes of pots and vases which make for beautiful table centerpieces or art for the mantle. His sweetheart series would make the perfect Valentine's Day gift; it's a line of ornate hearts decorated with his distinctive speckled style. He also crafts glass animals, tumblers, perfume bottle, and lamps.
15. Palm Beach Doggie Bags
Palm Beach Gardens, FL | Company website
This small business will make your furry friend very happy. Palm Beach Doggie Bags was created to give pets a healthy food option. They produce human-grade dog and cat food without any fillers, cooked with nutritious and fresh ingredients. They make meals for all possible dietary restrictions so that you can find specifically what your pet needs. This small business began as the brainchild of two sisters who were sick of feeding their pets dry kibble. After years of refining fresh recipes for their own dogs, they decided to open Palm Beach Doggie Bags in 2021 in order to benefit all pets in the area.
If you're looking to replace your dog or cat's daily food, choose from a variety of fresh flavors such as shepherd's pie, chicken delight, breakfast omelet, turkey dinner, seafood medley, and more. A full list of ingredients can be found on their website and in store so that you are aware of exactly what you're feeding your pet. This pup-bakery also makes a variety of healthy treats like chicken strips, bacon strips, hemp blueberry bites, bison bites, and lamb chop treats. Looking to treat your pup on their birthday? Palm Beach Doggie Bags even has "Barkcuterie Boards" — an adorable selection of treats served on a wooden board.
