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 ...

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 ...

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- ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. “ ...

A Western wear store is on its way to a midtown Wilmington shopping center. National retailer Boot Barn (NYSE: BOOT) signed a lease at Hanover Center, 3501 Oleander Drive, for a little over 14,000 square feet. The store will be located next to Homesense, a furniture and home decor store that opened at Hanover Center in 2023. “We will be starting upfit and fa ...