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Local business

‘All-in-one’ Scottsdale boutique showcases local and specialty finds

Posted 11/29/22

The Merchantile is a boutique based in Scottsdale with the purpose of bringing local businesses together. Its brick-and-mortar store, located in the heart of Old Town highlights some of the very best local creators and entrepreneurs in the area.

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Local business

‘All-in-one’ Scottsdale boutique showcases local and specialty finds

Posted

The Merchantile of Scottsdale is a boutique based in Scottsdale with the purpose of bringing local businesses together. Its brick-and-mortar store, located in the heart of Old Town highlights some of the very best local creators and entrepreneurs in the area.

Founder Kimberly Pak and her husband Eugene launched the modern marketplace in Scottsdale in October 2019 after moving from California. He is no longer a part of the day-to-day operations but remains a close support system to Kimberly.

“I have always been a vendor myself at various markets and when I moved here, there wasn’t a market that I could find that was similar to ones I was doing in California,” Kimberly Pak said.

In the past, she had sold at a similar type of store in California, which is why the multi-purpose marketplace in Scottsdale was born.

“When we first opened the store, we started with something small, but then we wanted to do something bigger to create the opportunity for more vendors and local artists to be able to sell their items,” Pak said.

The Merchantile curates a diverse collection of small and microlocal businesses from creators to curated resellers. You won’t find any mass retailers or drop shippers at the Merchantile, “just people who love what they do and want to share it with you,” according to Pak.

“I knew Scottsdale was a tourist destination and I know when I travel, I like to shop local and handmade. So, I wanted to create a space where everything was locally sourced and showcased Scottsdale for tourists,” Pak said.

The Merchantile focuses on the relationship it makes with its customers, not the transaction.

Pak said, “We know you’re not just buying a beeswax candle or a marble coaster — you’re buying the person, their story and their passion.”

How a customer is treated at The Merchantile is important. Every customer that comes into the store gets treated with the same kindness whether they make a purchase or not, Pak continued.

Each merchant you’ll see showcased in the boutique goes through an approval process to ensure they uphold the standards of quality, care and integrity the Merchantile guarantees to its customers.

“We have an application online through our website that vendors can fill out and we reach out to them if we are interested,” Pak said.

When deciding whether a vendor is a right fit for The Merchantile, Pak shared she looks for vendors with a social media presence because it shows they’re taking the next steps to try and establish themselves as a small business and are ready to be sold in stores.

The Merchantile now has a virtual addition to its brick-and-mortar location.

“We really wanted to bring the energy and engagement that come from a true marketplace experience online,” Pak said.

The Merchantile’s online shop showcases the same variety of small business local goods from the Scottsdale area with a focus on the best-selling in-store items.

The store has also expanded its brick-and-mortar presence by recently opening a location in Phoenix.

Editor’s Note: Siddney McLeod is a student reporter at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication