Retail

Oct 12, 2026

The owners of Landscape Depot, a landscape equipment and supply store, have purchased a retail property in Winnabow and opened a new location. Landscape Equipment Depot LLC bought the property, formerly occupied by a golf cart business, at 6525 Ocean Highway East, near the intersection of U.S. 17 and Green Hill Road, for $465,000, a deed shows.  “There are ...

Oct 7, 2026

Hemp Industry Caught In Legal Weeds

By Cece Nunn, posted Oct 7, 2026

Uncertainty hangs over the hemp industry, including businesses in Wilmington that depend on the sale of hemp-based THC products. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, the compound in a cannabis plant that can make users high when they smoke flower or ingest an edible containing a certain amount. Federal legislation and a North Carolina proposed law would change the de ...

Aug 28, 2026

Janie Perry opened Vintage Marketplace in Wilmington in 2013, sharing a space with Lou’s Flower World at 5128 Oleander Drive. After moving to two other locations on Oleander Drive over the years, Perry’s vendor market is relocating to its first home, this time leasing all 18,000 square feet that have been vacant for about a year and a half, Perry said. &l ...

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De-Escalation: The Missing Link in Workplace Safety and Team Performance

Posted Oct 1, 2026

When most organizations think about workplace safety, they often focus on physical security measures, emergency response plans, policies, procedures, cameras, access control systems, and active threat preparedness. While these elements are important, many workplace incidents begin long before an emergency ever occurs.

In reality, most workplace conflicts, disruptions, and safety conce...read entire article

Jul 8, 2026

Convenience Stores Expand Offerings

By Rickie Houston, posted Jul 8, 2026

Some locally owned convenience stores in Wilmington have morphed into food and beverage destinations, including Bevvy Mart and Front Street Market & Produce.  Founded in 2024 in Wrightsville Beach, Bevvy Mart is more than a traditional convenience store of yesteryear. It offers a coffee bar, a smoothie bar, convenience grocery items and grab-and- ...

May 11, 2026

Pawville Founders Buy Local Nursery, Production Farm

By Cece Nunn, posted May 11, 2026

Phil and Amanda Miller, the entrepreneurial couple behind the pet resort brand Pawville, have acquired Five Oaks Nursery, which has had a presence in the Wilmington horticultural community since 1980. According to a news release, the acquisition includes the nursery’s two retail locations – Five Oaks Wrightsboro and Five Oaks Oleander (formerly Blo ...

May 6, 2026

Biggers Market’s roots run deep, tracing back to the 1940s when founder and partner Sven Wallin’s grandfather, alongside his brothers, opened Biggers Brothers, a family-run produce business in Charlotte. Decades later, the family’s reputation for farm-fresh fruits and vegetables lives on. In 2010, Wallin opened Biggers Market, building on a reputation ...

Nov 12, 2025

Store Owners Share Passion For Plants

By Barbara L. Nelson, posted Nov 12, 2025

Nurseries and plant retail stores in sunny Wilmington are flourishing, driven by a passion for plants and the joy they bring to people’s lives. “Sometimes folks just come by to say hi and hang out with the plants for a while after a bad day,” said Kelly Houghland, co-owner of Let it Grow, along with her daughter, April. “Plants make people feel b ...

Oct 27, 2025

Steve Levine likes the vibe of the downtown space he leased as a second Wilmington location for Schoolkids Records. By “vibe,” he means “the feeling you get down here, the warmth of the people, the fast acceptance,” Levine said, vibing inside the 300-square-foot Schoolkids shop he and his partners recently opened at 3 S. Second St. The flagshi ...

Oct 9, 2025

Halloween Stores Scare Up Business

By Eric Williamson, posted Oct 9, 2025

For retailers, Halloween is a pulse-pounding, spine-tingling thrill ride. In theory, the result is a sack full of loot. Navigating how buyer tastes might change each year, however, can be tricky. In the spirit of “there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s,” here’s a look at how two different Wilmington businesses carve out their portion of the ...

Sep 18, 2025

A proposal from Wilmington Downtown Inc. (WDI) could expand outdoor street dining and retail on Front Street.  The downtown economic development agency is currently exploring a proposal that would “expand outdoor dining and retail in the 00 blocks of North and South Front Street on select weekends,” according to an email update from WDI. “ ...

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County Buildings Rise In Burgaw

New buildings have opened or will soon open in Burgaw this year to support growing Pender County, including a new law enforcement center and...


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Candidates vying to represent local districts in the N.C. House of Representatives answer questions on timely topics....

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