If you've been around Rock Hill for a while, you know that our community is diverse and beautiful. When I used to teach in Old Town Rock Hill, however, it was only in its infancy of revitalization. The museum was there, and eventually, Amelies and a handful of other restaurants, but that was really it.
Over the past decade, however, we've seen a rebirth of our sweet downtown and in 2018, we welcomed CD Mercantile, located at 130 W. White Street.
Upon entry, it looks like a "regular boutique" with local flare - but as you peruse the amazing selection, you'll start to catch on that this is not just any boutique. This boutique holds within it the heart of our community: service, love and compassion.
Brittany Kelly, a Rock Hill native and her husband Michael opened CD Mercantile with the vision of creating a space that would not only showcase amazing goods, but also serve as a hub for helping the community come together.
Outside the store, you'll find a community fridge and pantry - which, during the recent COVID Pandemic, has been serving more than 200 people, daily. This fridge is stocked by the community, "manned" by the store and used by old and young, black and white members of our city. What's more, those who have come to rely on it also have come to entrust the store and its staff with both their challenges and stories of triumph.
When you walk into the store, is the MercEmpower section of the store. Brittany knew that she had an opportunity to to empower other women to create their own retail businesses, and turned a corner of her store into a micro pop-up, specifically for Women of Color ages 18-40. This little slice of the store serves as a launch-pad for women to test their concepts and products before beginning the arduous process of securing credit or retail space.
But what really piqued my interest when we popped in last week are two amazing spaces in store: a workshop/kitchen in the back and an amazing open space on the second floor of the store. When I asked how it was used the answer caught me off guard.
Brittany had an idea to bring people in the community together - celebrating their shared interests and experiences while bridging their divides. The "United States of AMERCa" pairs two people - often with a HUGE underlying conflict (think Transgendered person with Conservative Religious leader) in a kitchen showdown environment while they prepare a meal and chat about deeply personal topics; at the end, the "couple" emerges with a new understanding of their partner and, hopefully, a more open perspective. While it seems like a risky move, this program has been wildly successful - with more than 80 people of all walks volunteering to be part of this social experiment!
If you haven't been in to visit the CD Mercantile, I cannot encourage you enough to do so. Not only will you find the PERFECT gifts for your friends and family, but you will also be uplifted in ways that only a local boutique can. From the beautiful selection of candles to fun cooking gadgets, kids books and toys to throw pillows - CD Mercantile embodies Rock Hill and we're so glad to call Brittany, ours!
To learn more about CD Mercantile, visit them on the web, Facebook or IG.
