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BIZ BUZZ
SHELLEY
Woman opens country store in Shelley
SHELLEY – Reneta Adamson has fond memories working in her dad’s country store as a kid. That experience prompted her to open one of her own.
The Merc opened the day after Christmas in a new strip at 120 Anderson Road in Shelley. It sits in an 800-square-foot space between Fixxology and a dog-grooming business.
It offers “a little bit of everything,” ranging from food, snacks and candy to books, clothes, jewelry, artwork (some of which Adamson created) and Adamson’s own brand of gardening seeds. She plans to sell fresh produce from her own garden in the future.
In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Adamson says she wants to fill a niche in the marketplace.
“Shelley does not have a store that sells hobby or art stuff. We don’t have a bookstore or a clothing store in Shelley. After King’s closed, we lost a lot of odds-and-ends things,” Adamson says.
King’s closed all its stores in 2017, including the Shelley location, due to changes in the retail landscape.
RELATED | Here’s what’s happening to the old King’s building in Shelley
Though Adamson says her small shop will never replace King’s, she does hope it will be a place where families can “come and get things they need or want” that aren’t available elsewhere in town.
“I hope to have hobby things. I do have some model airplanes, and I’ve got art supplies,” she says.
Its small size in a new building on a busy street that’s close to her home was appealing to her.
The store’s name hearkens back to her childhood when her father, Len Humphries — whose son, also named Len, stepped down as Fremont County sheriff in December — owned a store in Egin near St. Anthony with the same name.
Both Adamson and her brother helped out in their dad’s store, and it’s a happy memory for the 67-year-old.
“I enjoyed helping him,” says Adamson.
Originally from Shelley, Adamson was 14 when her family moved to Egin. He managed a now-defunct grocery store in Idaho Falls called Cash and Carry.
“He knew the grocery business and wanted to open a little country store,” Adamson says.
The Merc opened in 1974 and remained in operation until 2002.
Adamson’s dad has since passed away, but she’s proud to honor his memory with her new store.
“It was a good experience for me and my younger siblings to help in the store, and I wanted my granddaughters to have that experience. They help me a couple days a week,” she says.
“I’m really excited to be serving the community of Shelley and I appreciate the people who have been coming by,” Adamson adds.
The Merc is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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