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Today marks the launch of Shop Main Street, a new online store managed by Main Street America. The shop features clothing and apparel, accessories, home and office goods, and kids’ and baby items, now available for purchase at ShopMainStreet.org.
Inspired by survey data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic showing a desire for more opportunities to promote the Main Street movement, Shop Main Street goes beyond promoting the Main Street America brand. Instead, the goal is to create an additional resource for spreading the word about the Main Street mission.
“Part of any successful Main Street effort is building support behind the mission,” said Matt Wagner, PhD, Chief Program Officer at Main Street America, who developed the concept behind Shop Main Street. “The store provides an opportunity for everything from rewarding volunteers or gifting board members to communicating support for Main Streets as a testimony to one’s lifestyle and values.”
Shop Main Street has been in development since mid-2022, and was first announced publicly at the Main Street Now Conference in Boston at the end of March. Main Street America staff hosted a Pop-Up Shop featuring t-shirts, baseball caps, beanies, mugs, water bottles, notebooks, and stickers.
“We were totally blown away by the response our Pop-Up store received from the Network at the Conference in Boston. Truly amazing!” said Wagner. “And for the future, I’m excited by the opportunities for the Network and supporters from around the country to visually display their passion for their own downtown or neighborhood commercial districts.”
The online store is currently organized by product type, with categories including Clothing & Apparel, Kids & Youth Apparel, Baby & Toddler Apparel, Accessories, and Home & Office Goods. Products were selected based on their relevance to Main Street organizations’ needs and common uses, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, notebooks, laptop cases, stickers, mugs, and much more. As we receive feedback and gather sales data, this product list will continue to grow and develop to better fit our network’s needs.
Over the course of the next year, more products, designs, and categories, as well as add a feature that allows for localized customization, will be added to the site. We also plan to engage with local artists from Main Street communities to develop creative new designs available as special collections.
New designs, artwork, and products will be released on an on-going basis! Subscribe here to receive updates about new collections, product features, special promotions, and more.
Shop Main Street is hosted by Shopify, an e-commerce company focused on supporting small businesses. To learn about Shopify’s mission to support entrepreneurs, please click here. Products are fulfilled, printed, and shipped through Printful, an on-demand drop-shipping company that sources eco-friendly, sustainable, and responsible products from around the globe. To learn more about Printful’s sustainability and responsibility pledge, please visit this page.
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Independence Hall © Sean Pavone/iStock
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania © f11photo/iStock
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Volunteers help make streetscape improvements in Nevada, Iowa. © Main Street Nevada
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Events create opportunities for the community to gather in downtown Nevada, Iowa. © Linda Wendt
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Speakers kick-off a session at Main Street Now 2024. © Alicia Gallo
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How to Measure Downtown Impact session at Main Street Now 2024 © Molly Alexander
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Macon, Georgia © Mike Young Photography
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“It’s Nice to Have You in Birmingham” mural by Creighton Tynes © Bham Now
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Kelly Ingram Park © Greater Birmingham CVB
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Downtown Birmingham, Alabama © Sean Pavone/iStock
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Oxford, Alabama © City of Oxford, Alabama
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Birmingham skyline from Railroad Park. © Sean Pavone/iStock
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Woodlawn Market Place © Nathan Watson/Bham Now
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Florence, SC © Phil Eich
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Ostego, MI
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Boyne City, MI © Michigan Main Street
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© Jenny Boulware
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© Notice Pictures
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Sheridan, WY © Downtown Sheridan Association
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Sheridan, WY © Downtown Sheridan Association
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Washington, D.C. © Rizka
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Vancouver, WA © Vancouver Downtown Association
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Florence, SC © Downtown Florence Main Street Program
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Cleveland, OH © DJ Johnson
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Vancouver, WA © Vancouver Downtown Association
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Metuchen, NJ © Lauren Beischer
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A vendor serves beverages at the Roslindale Summer Farmers Market in 2022. © Bruce Spero Photography
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Laramie, WY © Main Street America
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Alton, IL © Alton Main Street
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Toccoa, GA © Steph Maley
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Orlando, FL © Tyla Harrington
Each week this Women's History Month, Main Street America is spotlighting the stories of women leaders in local and coordinating Main Street programs.
Each week this Women's History Month, Main Street America is spotlighting the stories of women leaders in local and coordinating Main Street programs.
Each week this Women's History Month, Main Street America is spotlighting the stories of women leaders in local and coordinating Main Street programs.
Each week this Women's History Month, Main Street America is spotlighting the stories of women leaders in local and coordinating Main Street programs.
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Chicago, IL © Main Street America
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Washington, IA © Kathy La Plante
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Florence, SC © True Light Photography
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Since starting as Executive Director, Todd has helped the organization achieve Virginia Main Street Designation Status and national Accreditation.
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The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Letter from past MSA President, Patrice Frey
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The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
A series of demonstration projects providing the opportunity to test new strategies on the ground, learn from practitioners, and refine the approach.
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
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Main Street Bartow's empty storefronts become pop-up art galleries to promote economic development.
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