A non-profit organization dedicated to assisting independent retailers thrive is stepping up for a Sulphur business destroyed in the April 27 tornado.
According to a news release from Heart on Main Street, the organization is donating $10,000 to help the Mix Mercantile Exchange rebuild after their downtown firm was taken out in the EF3 twister.
The Mix as it is called in the community, located at West 3rd and Muskogee St., was among about 60 businesses destroyed in Sulphur when the tornado swept through in the late evening hours.
“We at Heart on Main Street, a non-profit dedicated to helping independent retailers thrive, were deeply saddened to hear about the devastating tornado that struck Sulphur, Oklahoma in April,” said an official of organization.
“But there’s a bright spot,” the news release said. “Heart on Main Street is proud to announce a $10,000 donation to The Mix Mercantile to help them rebuild.”
According to the Atlanta, Georgia based organization, the donation will go directly for repairs, equipment and restocking.
“Independent Retailer Month is a time to recognize these businesses’ vital role in our communities, said Patrick Keiser, executive director, Heart on Main Street. “The Mix Mercantile is a beloved local shop, but it was more than just a store; it was a vibrant hub for the community, offering a welcoming space for residents and visitors alike. We are committed to supporting their rebuilding efforts. This donation will hopefully provide a critical boost as they work towards reopening their doors.”
Christy Morris, owner of the Mix, thanked Heart on Main Street for their kindness. “The words thank you cannot begin to convey our gratitude to you and all the wonderful independent retailers that made this donation possible. We will put it to good use to help us rebuild and come back bigger and better,” she said.
About Heart on Main Street
Founded in 2022, Heart on Main Street’s mission is to provide knowledge, resources, and connections to independent retailers to help them evolve and thrive in an ever-changing economy and to help create more sustainable Main Street businesses in our local communities. A healthy Main Street is vital to a healthy community, and by supporting these businesses, we can create stronger local economies and communities.
Heart on Main Street started with a question: “What is our noble purpose?” At the time, Patrick Keiser, the Founder and Executive Director of Heart on Main Street worked in the wholesale gift industry. He recognized that as an industry, companies did a great job of building relationships with retailers and designing and delivering products to retailers to sell but did not necessarily focus initiatives for the longterm success of those retailers. Retailers face extreme challenges, from small margins and limited access to resources to compete with large corporations and online distributors. A noble purpose has become clear: we must do more to support the long-term success of Main Street retailers.
Our Main Streets serve a central part of our communities and local economies. Independent Retailers employ local people, buy from local artisans, and hire local businesses for services. However, most independent retailers operate on a 3-5% profit margin, so when the economy and consumer habits change, they have challenges making investments to help them adapt to those changes. Since 2003, there has been a 23% decrease in locally owned, independent retail in the United States. It is not because retailers do not have the will, the savviness, or the desire to adapt; it is that they do not have the resources, knowledge, and connections to make the changes necessary to compete in their local economy. Heart on Main Street wants to change that.
To help provide resources, Heart on Main Street offers annual grants to retailers that are looking to invest in their business to make changes to adapt and grow. To help provide knowledge, Heart on Main Street partners with retail educators to offer monthly webinars and annual conferences on how to be a more successful retailer; we also offer a retail mentorship program where award-winning retailers and retail professionals help newer retailers by providing insight on how to get their business going and how to avoid the pitfalls that many retailers discover as they begin. Finally, to provide connections, Heart on Main Street has created a Friends of Main Street network to connect retailers to companies that provide services that a retailer may need, from marketing, branding, and social media services to interior design, visual merchandising, and many other fields.
Heart on Main Street is dedicated to providing independent retailers with the tools necessary to help create sustainable and long-lasting businesses within their communities and to help save Main Street.
