The Elmore General Store

     As someone who is not originally from a small town like Elmore, local businesses were never really of importance to me. Now living here in Elmore with my family for three years now, I have come to appreciate the community and the impact and importance it has on our lives. One of Elmore’s local businesses is the Elmore General Store. The General Store is located in the center of downtown Elmore on 346 Rice Street. I had the pleasure of talking to the owner of the store, Stormy White!

     Stormy is originally from Elmore, she has lived in Elmore for over 20 years. Stormy has lived in a few places before living in Elmore, but she said “I do consider Elmore to be my hometown.” Stormy opened her store on Black Friday in 2017. Before opening her own business, Stormy used to work at Pills N’ Packages here in Elmore. She lost her job when they closed in 2017. “When they closed, there wasn’t a store here in town that could kinda take its place. The Pills N’ Packages filled a need in town. They carried everyday items, gifts, and cards. At that time, Dollar General wasn’t here yet. Pills N’ Packages left a void when they closed.” Stormy shared that a friend who has now stepped back from the business and herself wanted to fill that void. “At the beginning, we sold more everyday items, paper towels, toilet paper, batteries, light bulbs, milk, etc. We also carried a small selection of handcrafted gifts, home decor, and cards.”

     As time went on however, the store changed dramatically.“We no longer carry everyday items, we don’t need to since the Dollar General opened up. We still carry handmade goods, we currently work with 45 different local makers and vendors. Right now, I would say we carry 50% locally crafted items, 50% purchased wholesale from other small businesses.” Some items you will find in the store are gourmet pantry items, home decor for every style, boutique items and handmade jewelry, pet treats and toys, handpicked vintage finds, soaps, lotions, and skincare, home fragrance and candles, giftables and cards, houseplants, furniture, Bibles and devotionals, children’s toys and gift items, and even more! They also carry seasonal decor and their best seller is Kinker’s Cholera Balm. 

     One of the most important things about running a local business is what sets it apart from the others. Some unique things about the General Store are “the collection of different styles that we offer. We sell modern and old, primitives, quirky and nerdy, farmhouse, ‘grandma-core’, boho, crafty. We try to sell something for every taste and every style.” Running your own business is a big responsibility but it is also an exciting job to have. When I asked Stormy what her favorite thing about running her own business was, she said, “the freedom it gives me. I’m able to make my own hours if needed. I’ve been able to bring bottle fed kittens to work with me without issue. I love that I’m able to be in the old Damschroder General Store building, that it’s not sitting empty, that it’s open for people to enjoy. And I love being able to stage the store, to decorate it for the seasons.” The windows are always decorated beautifully for the different seasons and it is a joy seeing it change when driving down main street in Elmore. 

     Running a local business also does come with challenges, especially in a small town like Elmore. “I would say the hardest thing would be the amount of book work involved. Making sure everything stays in order. Making sure taxes and bills are paid on time. I don’t mind most of the time though,” Stormy said. She also added, “honestly, we are doing really well. I take absolutely no credit for this. I’ve given this business to God, this is his store. It honestly should have closed at least 3 times by now, one of those times being the pandemic in 2020. But, by His grace we are still going strong.” 

     One new thing in one of the windows at the General Store is a very famous plant that Stormy calls Audrey II! If you are unfamiliar with the movie Little Shop of Horrors, Audrey is a ginormous plant and it’s a cross between a Venus Flytrap and a Butterwort. Stormy had the idea for Audrey II in April, right after the eclipse. “In the movie, she appeared during an eclipse. She is made from cocoa liners, foam pipe liners, pool noodles, so much paper mache, clay foam, chicken wire, paint, fabric, a ton of hot glue, and faux greenery.” Stormy also added, “my sister and I worked on her off and on all summer. I don’t have the exact hours worked, I just know we worked on her every chance we had.” 

     Finally, I asked Stormy if there was an important message she would like to tell the community about the importance of small local businesses. “By supporting small businesses, you’re also supporting the local community. You’re stimulating the local economy, keeping it strong. Additionally, small businesses pour themselves back into the community that supports them. They support local events, sports teams, local charities, etc. Small businesses would not exist without the support of the local community.” 

     The General Store has a Facebook and Instagram page that they update regularly, so make sure to stay up to date on what is happening. Please take the time to appreciate your local businesses more. They do so much for us and the community and deserve more recognition.