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Local manufacturers' goods available at new TAAS Gallery outlet store

Old Fort gains outlet for discount goods

By Mike Conley | The McDowell News

Published: January 11, 2009

Both Parker Hosiery and Pisgah Yarn have been making quality products in Old Fort for many years. Now folks can buy those products at a new outlet store located at TAAS Gallery and Pinwilz.
The Appalachian Artisan Society Gallery and its retail operation Pinwilz are opening up a new store in partnership with two longtime manufacturers. The Old Fort Store will be an outlet store for both Parker Hosiery and Pisgah Yarn. Folks who come to TAAS Gallery will also be able to find the products made by those two firms.
"They really don't have a retail area in their plants, so we are doing it for them," said Bev Heldman, co-owner of TAAS Gallery and Pinwilz.
The new venture has already proved to be a hit.
"We're selling them like crazy," Heldman added.
"There's a lot of talk about buying local, but when it comes down to it, it has been difficult to practice this noble virtue," read a news release about the Old Fort Store. "When we shop for things, we want to find the best prices, a wide selection of items, convenient parking, convenient food and drinks and more. Many times, you can't get all that and buy local also."
Manufacturing companies that sell direct to customers have a difficult time fitting in customer service in an industrial environment. At the factory, it's all about volume and filling supply to meet demand.
The store can accept all forms of payment: cash, checks, credit cards, debit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover) and even PayPal. The business also offers shopping in the store, shopping online, mail order and call-in ordering. Pinwilz and the new Old Fort Store keep regular business hours five days a week at TAAS Gallery. There is plenty of parking on most days right outside the front door.
"It's a natural fit for us at Pinwilz to be the local selling store for these great local companies," said Dru Heldman, co-owner of TAAS Gallery and Pinwilz. "We have started with a pretty good selection from both companies, and I expect that the selection and the quantity will grow as we see sales grow once the word gets out. I'm expecting that we will find other companies in the Old Fort area that will be interested in having us be their factory store."
Each company controls what products are sold there and the selling price. Pinwilz is making it available and processing the sales transaction. The custom Pinwilz/TAAS Gallery software allows each company representative to log in through a secured Web site and see what has sold and when. It's all real-time, say the Heldmans.
Both Parker Hosiery and Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Company have been in the Old Fort neighborhood for decades. Each one has sold products direct to the public from their manufacturing plants. Both of them still offer direct sales for bulk buyers, but, when someone needs a few pair of socks or a couple of cones of yarn, they can conveniently find it at TAAS Gallery and Pinwilz. Any pair of Parker socks is just $1.99 each and the new outlet store has 70 different styles and colors, including men's, women's and children's socks. Pisgah Yarn pricing is competitive with discount retailers. One big difference is access to a larger selection; currently 279 different products are for sale.
The third manufacturer in the Old Fort Store is the Pinwilz line of candles. This product is not currently sold anywhere else, but the Heldmans hope to eventually make the Butterfly Blends brand a household name-brand product.
"We've got our feelers out looking for distributors or retail partners," said Dru Heldman. "The Butterfly Blends wholesale marketing has been put on the back burner since we opened Catawba Vale Café. There's only so much we can do at the same time."
For more information, call 668-1070.

Follow the links at the top of this story to visit Pinwilz or TAAS online.