Last March, when Beth MacDonald and her partners, after seven years of ownership, sold the building at 110 South Central Street, she faced a decision with her business. Bethie Lou’s Fabulous Gift Store, which had opened in May 2022, had enjoyed a great two year run. She could have closed shop or moved out of downtown. Instead, she felt the vibe of the Old City matched her edgy little gift store well. She looked for the right spot.
Ultimately, she found it just around the corner in a space then occupied by Leigh Burch — the person who had purchased her building. He offered to give up his lease to her and allowed her to stay in her former home to see the important Christmas retail season through. Beth said he had been very supportive and it allowed them to enjoy a very successful Christmas retail season at the old location. Demolition has begun in that space and Burch says the plans are fluid, but he expects an announcement in the next couple of months.
The new space is about the same size as the previous space, but seems larger due to its more conventional configuration. It’s also much lighter thanks to large windows, an unobstructed northern exposure, and a non-recessed doorway which darkened the previous location a bit. All the inventory from the previous store was moved and some has been recently added, such as locally made cosmetics and skin products by Susan Bourdeau (previously available at Knoxville Soap and Candle) and they will continue Make-Over days with her on a quarterly basis.
She said that having the shop at the original location did very well and she feels that having several shops selling goods in the Old City only helps each one do better. The edginess of some of her products, she feels, fits the Old City Vibe and she hopes to continue the good run on the new street and is excited for the stadium and other development to open just a couple of blocks away.
Interestingly, she said they’ve already seen different customers than they saw just around the corner. With a high-end bar and a high-end restaurant nearby, she thinks that may have exposed the shop to some people who had missed it before. She’s looking forward to Big Ears, spring, and the stadium opening, all of which bode well for foot traffic. The pattern of customers over the course of the last two-and-a-half years has been “about a fifty-fifty split” between locals and tourists. She said Big Ears always brings a boost as she thinks her aesthetic fits many of the people who attend the festival.
She’s organized the shop to be user-friendly for everyone. She has a children and teens section in one corner and the more risqué items, along with bar-ware in a different part of the shop. Up front will be more housewares and other items, and along the counter you’ll find jewelry. The center of the store has a mix of items, including pet items and candles. (You can meet her wonderful new puppy, Gus, in the store.)
You’ll also find the art of graphic designer Madelyn Vagot adorning the walls here, as it did in the previous shop. They also carry some local art, but she points out that RALA has the bulk of that. She said she also tries very hard to carry American-made items as much as possible. She’s also offering private shopping parties for any groups that want to reserve the store after hours.
“I’m really happy to be over here.” Come in and see her and find something that makes you “happy to be over here,” as well. The store opens at 11:00 am each day of the week and closes at 6:00 pm Monday through Thursday, 7:00 pm Friday and Saturday, and 5:00 pm on Sunday.