Of the local variety: Travelers from close by keep Pacific shop hopping
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the nature of the clientele at Eclectic Trading Co., a clothing and import shop in Pacific.
Owner Bobbie Kassman of High Ridge has been in business since 2011, first in House Springs, and then relocating to the Pacific location in 2018.
“I bought the building because it’s on Route 66,” she said. “People traveling that route were a big part of our business. We had people sign our guest book from England, Australia, all over. Once the virus hit, that pretty much stopped.”
Luckily, though, locals are taking up at least some of the slack.
“We have had people taking little trips from the local area, people from Illinois, from St. Peters or O’Fallon,” Kassman said. “It’s kind of strangely unpredictable. We can be swamped one minute and dead the next. We can’t figure it out.”
Kassman said she can’t easily characterize the merchandise in her emporium, which encompasses 2,800 square feet on two levels.
“We have a little bit of everything,” she said. “There are more than 18,000 new and vintage items from around the world. Everything is hand-picked and one-of-a-kind, and we get new shipments every day.”
Kassman listed pashmina shawls from Afghanistan, garden merchandise, pottery and locally designed jewelry.
“We have fair trade items, where the money goes to small businesses to help feed their families,” she said. “People love that. And young people really seem to like the vintage items like clothing, shoes, hats, purses and accessories.”
Eclectic Trading, 520 W. Osage St., stocks clothing from petite to 5XL, along with a variety of Native American items and Route 66 memorabilia.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
