About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2017)
Page B6 Lake Oconee News Friday, September 8,2017 LAKE COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT BUSINESS REVIEW McCommons Big Store, located in the heart of downtown Greensboro, has been a family owned and operated business for more than 100 years, spanning five generations. Today the center parcel of the Big Store is home to Murphy’s Gifts and More. According to Meredith Ethridge, the building used to house a dry goods and grocery store before her brother took it over and turned it into an office supply and print shop in the 1990s. Seven years ago Meredith had the idea to begin selling gifts. “We have cut back on the printing since I started the gift shop,” Meredith said. In an effort to keep up with the times, Meredith began introducing gifts into the family store. Her hope was that Murphy’s would help keep people from having to travel out of town to purchase gifts and specialty products. Meredith has stocked the store with tee shirts, baby items, jewelry, home decor, garden flags, doormats, purses and more. “I sell a little bit of everything,” she said. When Meredith began selling gifts, she used traveled to AmericasMart in Atlanta to pick out and purchase items for the gift shop. “Now I rely on my sales reps coming in and showing me the newest items in either a catalog or on their computer,” she said. The reps also bring samples of what the items look like so Meredith can get a feel for the brands before deciding if she wants to carry them in the store. “Then I use social media to see what other people are selling in other parts of the United States,” she said. “Our goal downtown is to not sell the same stuff as another store so that we’re not repeating. I try to see what is popular elsewhere and bring it to Greensboro.” Some of the popular brands that Meredith has worked to bring into Murphy’s are Heritage clothing, which she says was created by a local man, Andy Dyar; Peach State Pride; Deep River excellence. (706) 453-1609 www.bsmlakeoconee.com Banksouth. 118 N. Main Street • Downtown Greensboiu 706.453.9222 “ Leaving for Antwerp, Belgium, Diamond Capital of the world, October 13th. Equal Housing Lender. BankSouth Mortgage Company, LLc. NMLS 690971. 254 Parks Mill Rd. Buckhead, GA (Lake Oconee Area) 70|J-485-25|6 www.gilsautoservices.com WE ARE YOUR DEALERSHIP ALTERNATIVE! We repair all makes and models. Come See us today. Outfitters; and Yeti. Murphy’s also offers vinyl monogramming on some items. Meredith believes what sets Murphy’s apart from other gift shops in the area is the history of the family owned store. “Usually, when people walk in, we tell them about the history, and they are amazed about that,” she said. The original McCommons dry goods and grocery store occupied all of the building. The shop earned the name the Big Store because it was the largest store between Atlanta and Augusta. Today, the McCommons family rents out portions of the building surrounding Murphy’s. Pieces of the family’s history line the top shelves in Murphy’s. Murphy’s Gifts and More is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. SURROUNDING COUNTIES GRANT POWELL FOR OVER 10 YEARS! PT dpt pt,, dpt, atc • Joint Rehab Experts • Sports Specific Rehabilitation • Back & Neck Pain Relief • Balance & Fall Prevention • Workers Compensation 706-454-1394 GREENSBORO 1000 Cowles Clinic Way, Suite D-100 Greensboro, GA 30642 www.advancerehab.com T AIN ©TREE LEE Industries Rachael Ray Collection Bernhardt Flexsteel Universal Comfort Design Cresent Sealy Bedding LAKE OCONEE'S HOMETOWN FURNITURE STORE! 105 South Main Street., Greensboro 706-453-4622 • mainstreetfurniture.com Local, Trustworthy & Independent. Here to serve you, your family & business first. JIM BOYD^IIMSURANCE 120 E. WASHINGTON STREET, MADISON S V 7 Trusted 706-342-2411 •JIMBOYDAGENCY.COM S £ Special times deserve a special place. Wedding Reception Birthday Parties Anniversaries ^ Reunions 4 ■y 1 i W -- 11 myk rat 3K.VticL- ml “7H5.816.8027 WSt&SlF 118 N. JEFFERSON AVE. 11 EATONTON, GA. EAT0NT0NC0TT0NWAREH0USE.COM QWIK PACK & SHIP Your Full Service Shipping, Mailing & Business Service Center Shipping Ground, Express, Worldwide & LTL o QjffiEfiBgSqfCfflss o [Mfensz o ©GSsoSiccfflss o [^Ex©arcfl3@s o F(sg[£©s©[£ni[S© o^anfla ©arcflas© o (ofrpfbm o gfcratftrfTtyrTtefiria 1512-L Eatonton Rd Madison, Georgia (706) 752-1605 Mon-Fri: 9am-5:30pm Sat: 9am-1pm
