Shopping and Selling Easy as 1 2 3

Downtown Fayetteville is filled with dynamic establishments run by passionate risk-takers who are devoted to the community. Our View from the Market House showcases the businesses and entrepreneurs that make downtown shine.

The Shops at 123 Hay Street boasts a wide variety of goods ranging from décor and furniture to kids’ toys and baby goods. The consignment store helps vendors set up individualized spaces inside to sell unique products without the hassle of owning a business themselves. The Shops at 123 Hay Street is the perfect complement to anyone’s shopping experience in Downtown Fayetteville.

Joy Powell, owner of the store, has maintained the business for two years now. Despite the difficulties that come with owning a retail shop, Powell continues to make great strides in growing her business and focusing on the consumer.

The store’s original location across the street was relocated after Powell saw an opportunity to buy its current location. “There’s a lot more room, it doubled the size,” she said. “I’ve been very pleased.” Powell has taken full advantage of the new space by allowing more vendors to utilize her service. This allows Shops at 123 Hay Street to carry many products shoppers would otherwise be unable to find elsewhere.

What lured Powell to her store’s current location was the constant activity seen in the downtown area. Festivals, parades and celebrations splash the calendar with events for the entire family. “We participate in 4th Friday and we’ve always loved downtown,” Powell said. “Anytime we get a large crowd (from events) it helps business.”

Despite the festivities, Powell is looking forward to watching her business and downtown continue to grow and prosper. With events like Fayetteville After 5 and 4th Friday, there are plenty of opportunities for both shoppers and businesses to make connections.

Powell feels that she has a lot of great support in the downtown area from local alliances and other businesses. She believes it’s a collaborative effort to bring consumers to the area and local businesses thrive off the success of one another.

Consignment stores especially rely on a close relationship with the vendors they support, this is something Powell is proud of with her own business.

The advantage of consignment is the variety of goods made available to consumers. The Shops at 123 Hay Street has one of largest collections of items in the downtown area. From the wild to the tame, there’s something for everyone.

“A celebration of the home, The Shops at 123 Hay Street is a place for the quality and style conscious consumer, providing unique, one of a kind merchandise,” Powell wrote on her Facebook page, “You never know what kind of treasures you will find, our inventory changes often.”

Businesses like The Shops at 123 Hay Street create the ideal medium between vendors and consumers. Entrepreneurs like Powell are the driving force in small businesses in downtown. Whether a consumer or a small shop owner, her business has a space, or a product, just for you.

Photo: Joy Powell, owner of Moonstone Jewelry.