Welcoming atmosphere key to best flea market · coffee maker. The breadth of items available, along...
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18 FEBRUARY 20, 2020 • BEST OF MADISON COUNTY 2020 BEST OF RETAIL / BUSINESS » Featured winner BROOKE KEMP FOR THE HERALD BULLETIN ANDERSON — Store Manager Beckie Akers said each day at Emporium 1101 is like a trip down memory lane — you can find everything from an antique similar to something your grandmother owned, to a new coffee maker. The breadth of items available, along with the atmosphere of the store, is why Akers believes Emporium 1101 was voted Best of Madison County. For Akers, the flea market has become her home away from home. Kindness and good customer service are “mandatory,” and she enjoys being able to come to work and laugh and enjoy the company of coworkers and customers. “Many, many people have commented that when they walk in the store, they get a feeling that they are welcome to be here — that everybody here is friendly and that it’s a lighthearted place,” Akers said. “That’s something that we pride ourselves in.” Emporium 1101, 2200 S. Scatterfield Road, is one of four Emporium flea markets that Robbin Hollis owns. Originally, Hollis opened Emporium 31 in Greenwood in 2009. From there, she said, customer demand was so high, she opened another store in Beech Grove and another in Indianapolis before finally opening one in Anderson. “With a number of small businesses under one roof, it gives people the opportunity to come in and buy things at a much lower cost than what your big- box houses are selling things for,” Hollis said. She added that the flea market also brings jobs to the community by allowing people to create their own business under the established flea market model. Randall Rich, however, said being a vendor isn’t about making a lot of money. In fact, overpricing items is a common mistake that unsuccessful booths make, Rich said. “It’s kind of fun sometimes just to sell your stuff,” he said. “Even if you make no money, you’re helping someone else out because it’s so cheap.” Hollis said she and others at Emporium 1101 try to be involved in the community by hosting Girl and Boy Scouts for cookie and popcorn sales, church bake sales and Customer and Vendor Appreciation Days — the next of which is set for March 14. Even after more than five years of community involvement and customer service, however, Hollis said she was surprised to learn that Emporium 1101 had been voted Best of Madison County. She said “it’s quite an honor” to have been chosen, and wants to thank the community and the customers for choosing Emporium 1101. “Our successes in Madison County are because of the exceptional employees, vendors and customers,” Hollis said. “Without them, our Emporium would not be in Anderson.” Welcoming atmosphere key to best flea market Photos by John P. Cleary | The Herald Bulletin Emporium 1101 was named Best Flea Market in the Best of Madison County voting. Some of the variety of items that can be found at Emporium 1101, 2200 S. Scatterfield Road, Anderson. The business has numerous small business vendors selling their items under one roof.
Transcript of Welcoming atmosphere key to best flea market · coffee maker. The breadth of items available, along...
18 FEBRUARY 20 , 2020 • BEST OF MADISON COUNT Y
2020 BEST OF RETAIL / BUSINESS » Featured winner
BROOKE KEMPFOR THE HER ALD BULLETIN
ANDERSON — Store Manager Beckie Akers said each day at Emporium 1101 is like a trip down memory lane — you can find everything from an antique similar to something your grandmother owned, to a new coffee maker.
The breadth of items available, along with the atmosphere of the store, is why Akers believes Emporium 1101 was voted Best of Madison County.
For Akers, the flea market has become her home away from home. Kindness and good customer service are “mandatory,” and she enjoys being able to come to work and laugh and enjoy the company of coworkers and customers.
“Many, many people have commented that when they walk in the store, they get a feeling that they are welcome to be here — that everybody here is friendly and that it’s a lighthearted place,” Akers said. “That’s something that we pride ourselves in.”
Emporium 1101, 2200 S. Scatterfield Road, is one of four Emporium flea markets that Robbin Hollis owns.
Originally, Hollis opened Emporium 31 in Greenwood in 2009. From there, she said, customer demand was so high, she opened another store in Beech Grove and another in Indianapolis before finally opening one in Anderson.
“With a number of small businesses under one roof, it gives people the opportunity to come in and buy things at a much lower cost than what your big-box houses are selling things for,” Hollis said.
She added that the flea market also brings jobs to the community by allowing people to create their own business under the established flea market model.
Randall Rich, however, said being a vendor isn’t about making a lot of money. In fact, overpricing items is a common
mistake that unsuccessful booths make, Rich said.
“It’s kind of fun sometimes just to sell your stuff,” he said. “Even if you make no money, you’re helping someone else out because it’s so cheap.”
Hollis said she and others at Emporium 1101 try to be involved in the community by hosting Girl and Boy Scouts for cookie and popcorn sales, church bake sales and Customer and Vendor Appreciation Days — the next of which is set for March 14.
Even after more than five years of community involvement
and customer service, however, Hollis said she was surprised to learn that Emporium 1101 had been voted Best of Madison County.
She said “it’s quite an honor” to have been chosen, and wants to thank the community and the customers for choosing Emporium 1101.
“Our successes in Madison County are because of the exceptional employees, vendors and customers,” Hollis said. “Without them, our Emporium would not be in Anderson.”
Welcoming atmosphere key to best flea market
Photos by John P. Cleary | The Herald Bulletin
Emporium 1101 was named Best Flea Market in the Best of Madison County voting.
Some of the variety of items that can be found at Emporium 1101, 2200 S. Scatterfi eld Road, Anderson. The business has numerous small business vendors selling their items under one roof.
