By Andrew Edwards
Elmore Autauga News Staff Writer
For the past 13 years, Memories Vintage Market has been a staple of the Prattville Community, housing 125 different vendors that sell items ranging from custom antiques and collectibles to souvenirs and furniture.
Vendors from Prattville, Millbrook, Montgomery, Clanton, and even Atlanta have set up shop at Memories Vintage Market.
But with high demand comes less space. And with so many people wanting to be a part of what Memories has to offer, a decision had to be made.
“We decided that it was time for us to expand”, says Mike Floyd, Co-Owner of Memories. Mike and his wife, Amy, took over the business one year ago and never dreamed that they would be able to see such growth so early in their management.
“We initially didn’t have plans to open up another location. The idea came to us very, very quickly and recently,” Mike said.
The main reason that the new location was needed was because of a high demand for booth space.
“There’s so many people that are currently on the waiting list. We decided to start exploring options, and of course, we love Millbrook because it is our town. We want to support and bring something new to that downtown area,” Amy said.
The new market, located at 2910 Main Street in Millbrook, will be able to house approximately 60 new vendors, the Floyds said. They will also use a portion of at that space as their new warehouse, which will allow for 15 more booths at their Prattville location.
The name of their new location will be ‘Main Street Vintage Market’.
“Our goal is to basically help people start their own business. When you think about it, there’s currently 125 business owners in here [The Market]. So, our philosophy is, lets help these guys start their business or expand their hobby. That’s what’s great about this model – You’re helping to support 125 plus locally owned businesses,” Mike said.
Since announcing their new location, the Floyds have received an influx of calls and messages from people who are extremely excited about the prospect of selling in a new area.
“We’ve had so many people reaching out to us, saying ‘We want in’. Millbrook has a lot of things that are going to be happening real, real soon. There’s a lot of growth over there,” Mike said.
The shopping experience is what helps to draw in so many new customers and vendors, Amy said.
“It’s such a multi-faceted shopping opportunity. Whether it’s a collectable, or gift that you want to get someone else, Memories is really a one-stop shop for anyone. We feel like it’s going to bring a lot of excitement and buzz to Millbrook,” Amy said.
Memories has already begun to engrain themselves into the Millbrook Community, officially joining the Chamber of Commerce in early July.
“It’s been awesome to work with the chamber so far. The locally owned businesses have been super supportive of us, and the whole community just gives off a family atmosphere,” Mike said.
Millbrook Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Brenda Dennis, is excited about the business’s new location.
“It’s an exciting time for Millbrook as a whole. This is a very unique store that’s coming to our city. Amy and Mike are very enthusiastic and want to do this for the community. They want to be a part of the growth that’s happening in Millbrook,” Dennis said.
Their new location will begin indoor and outdoor renovations in the near future. The Floyds said their plan is to have a soft opening ‘sometime by mid-August’.
“It’s important for us to stay involved with other businesses around us and grow together. That’s what a business is – the towns, the links, and everybody working together,” Amy said.
