The Merchantile of Phoenix offers the same concept as The Merchantile of Scottsdale, which opened at 3965 North Brown Avenue in Old Town Scottsdale in October 2019 with individual makers and retailers renting space to sell their products. About 80 vendors have set up shop in Phoenix, while Scottsdale has more than 100.
Phoenix's standalone building at 730 East Missouri Avenue houses about 30 vendors who also have booths in Scottsdale and 50 new retailers in 5,400 square feet.
“We were looking for stores around the same size and they were way too big or way too small and this one was exactly the same size as our Scottsdale store,” founder and co-owner Kimberly Pak says. “It was perfect for what we were looking for.”
Pak said while the Old Town Scottsdale location was developed with visitors in mind, Phoenix focuses more on products for Phoenicians. “Old Town Scottsdale is highly tourist-driven, which is awesome,” she says, “but we wanted to branch out into a local community."
Pak’s sister, Brisol Diaz, who co-owns the Phoenix marketplace, says even though it still has an Arizona-centric “desert vibe,” the new space is “more hip, more colorful, more modern.” Pak adds that it sells more home decor, which isn’t as easy to transport for out-of-towners, along with plenty of gifts for women, men, and children.
A few of the most popular shops in Phoenix include Sugar Fairy Jewelry, lingerie by Naked Rebellion, and apparel and more by Iconic Arizona, The Uptown Hippie, and Old Town Gypsy Boutique. While not everything is locally manufactured, all the sellers are Arizona-based.
Also, The Merchantile allows many to have a physical presence they wouldn’t have otherwise by providing not only the space, but retail staff. A physical presence helps vendors build their brand in real life and allows for spontaneous and last-minute purchases.
“It’s really elevated my business to the next level,” says Nick Carmichael, owner of Iconic Arizona. “I’m able to have a retail location that I was able to style and stock, but not have to manage on a daily basis. It’s probably doubled my sales in the last two to three years, and it continues growing.”
Carmichael adds that it’s a “huge advantage” to be able to sell his products at a brick-and-mortar for people who are crunched for time. If they contact him and need a birthday gift or something to wear to a sporting event and can’t wait for delivery, he sends them to The Merchantile.
Kimberly Pak opened The Merchantile of Scottsdale in 2019, followed by The Merchantile of Phoenix in September this year.
The Merchantile
Pak says her husband, Eugene Pak, motivated and inspired her to launch The Merchantile of Scottsdale after they relocated to the Valley for his job. She made most of her income selling her handbag line in outdoor markets in Southern California, but didn’t see any counterpart here.
And then, Pak recalls thinking, “Man, even if I find one, what about the summer? I’m going to lose out on income in the summer because it gets so hot.”
She came up with the idea for a place that would sell “the best of Arizona,” with makers, designers, and curators. Now, Pak sells her own line of Krista Paige Handbags and Merch Babe clothing at both locations of The Merchantile.
There’s a wait list for vendors, who can apply online for a spot, and Pak hopes to continue expanding the business. After opening in Scottsdale, The Merchantile also hosted a pop-up at Tempe Marketplace from November 2021 through March 2022, and she says she would “love more locations for sure.” Look for future incarnations of The Merchantile in the east and/or west Valley.
The grand opening will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, though the marketplace will be open until 6 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. Regular hours at The Merchantile of Phoenix are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.
The first 50 customers at the grand opening this weekend will receive a vendor swag bag. Also, the Merchantile of Phoenix is collecting school and hygiene supplies along with monetary donations for children at Excelencia School and their families throughout October. Anyone who donates this weekend will be entered to win a giant gift basket.
