WAKULLA COUNTY, FL (WTXL) — A new antique and vendor mall is coming to downtown Panacea, and its owner says the goal is to give local small businesses an affordable place to sell their products every day.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
The Barnacle and Buoy Antique and Oddities Mall will take over the old supermarket in downtown Panacea. Owner David Birdsell said the space will accommodate around 40 vendors, each of whom can design their own booth.
"They will take and set it up, and they can have their touches on the decoration and stuff, and then all the merchandise in there is their store. They don't have to physically man the store because we have the counters set up, and we do the sales for them. So it's a great thing when stores open when we are, and they just sell merchandise."
Birdsell said the mall addresses a real challenge facing small business owners in Florida today.
"A lot of areas in Florida have changed. Real estate has gotten very high everywhere. So, for a mom and pop business or somebody trying to do something new, it's hard for them to afford to go out and lease an entire building and do all the utilities and don't do all the hoops that that takes. So that's a huge factor involved."
One of the vendors already signed on is Emerald Pelican Concrete Statuary out of Sopchoppy. Co-owner Rebecca Hurley said the mall solves a practical problem for her business — shipping concrete is costly and often not worth it.
"For instance, if you sell something small the cost of shipping it probably probably more than the actual item itself. It's just concrete doesn't really lend itself to shipment very well. Maybe the smaller pieces. But again, it's like, even if something was $15, I'd be spending $10 to ship it and it's just not very advantageous."
Hurley said she also values the personal connection that comes with selling locally.
"I just love this community and the surrounding area, so it's really neat to know that you're part of it, and people come and get it."
Birdsell said the plaza will also help vendors connect with their customers directly.
"The plaza's gonna just allow us to engage with our customers."
Vendor space is still available. If you are interested, call or text (352) 842-8611.
Birdsell said he hopes to have the mall open in time for the Blue Crab Festival in September.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
