Our Story
Our Goal
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Simply Southern opened its doors for business in April of 1994 with no business plan, no plans or funding for growth, and frankly, no idea whether we would find success or failure. We opened these doors with working hands, generous hearts, and a dream………
We dreamed of the days when shopping was a pleasure and not a chore. The days when employees knew and greeted customers by name. The days when you could give a gift or take home something that you were proud to display at a reasonable price. Remember free gift wrapping, parking at the front door, and receiving a “Welcome” and “Thank You” from the owner each time you shopped? That was our dream!
At Simply Southern, our goal is to make each customer who opens our doors feel welcome and special. We know that we cannot compete with the grandeur of the mall stores or the pricing of the “big box” stores, and we make no attempt to. Our goal is simply to provide our customers with a quality product at a reasonable price while providing the friendliest customer service and the most comfortable and relaxing shopping experience possible.
Who says that you can’t have it all ……… Visit Simply Southern Gifts & Home Decor
History
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In 1987 I began making crafts on my kitchen counter as a hobby. One day a neighbor who was visiting asked me why I didn’t make them to sell. I was flattered, but had doubts about my ability to produce something nice enough to offer for sale. The next day she came back and offered to buy a wooden shadow box that I had made which she had seen hanging on my den wall.
A year later my crafts had taken up one of our bedrooms and I was selling everything that I could produce. Two years later, I was utilizing the entire basement and two car garage of a new home. In 1993 my husband and I agreed that my “Hobby” had become a “Business” and that in order to grow any more, I had to have retail space.
After months of looking, I stumbled upon an old two story Victorian style house which was for lease. I was hesitant because the 2400 sq. ft. space was much more than I needed, but for some reason I kept coming back to it. In retrospect, I believe that it was much like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree….., the old house seemed to need me as much as I needed it, so together we opened Simply Southern Gifts in April of 1994.
Over the next 10 years, as business grew and money allowed, we remodeled and opened rooms of the old house one by one until the entire house was restored to its former beauty.
Thanks to our ever growing and loyal customer base, we were out of space again in 2005 and began exploring our options. Customer feedback led us to believe that our “Custom”, and “Hand-Made” items, along with low prices, were what separated us from any other gift store in the area. So, in the winter of 2008 we began construction of a 2000 sq. ft. production and warehouse facility attached to the original Gift Shop. This addition allowed us to purchase and store our flowers, wreathes, and other raw materials in bulk. These bulk purchases offer savings on material cost and shipping, which we can then pass on to out customers. As a result, we are able to produce custom items much more quickly and efficiently, which in turn leads to faster turn-around time on custom orders, and everyday lower pricing to our customers.
Visit Us
191 Friarsgate Boulevard
Irmo, SC 29063
803-749-3077