Coal Miner's Daughter Mercantile: Small-Maker Shopping in Pigeon Forge

About

Coal Miner's Daughter Mercantile is a shop built around small businesses. Instead of one brand, it gives hundreds of independent vendors, boutiques, artisans and crafters a real storefront, so a single visit turns up a wide mix of handmade and hard-to-find pieces. The Pigeon Forge location is in the Mountain Mile Annex on Teaster Lane, a short walk from other Mountain Mile stops and a welcome change of pace from chain souvenir shops.

Expect clothing and boutique apparel, tumblers, jewelry, candles, woodwork, wall hangings, wreaths and seasonal decor. Founder Tabitha Estep still makes shirts for the store, and she recruited many vendors by searching for local makers who sold online but had no shop of their own. The name honors her father, who worked in the coal mines near Appalachia, Virginia, and photos of those mines hang on the walls.

The store sits at 2628 Teaster Lane in the Mountain Mile Annex, part of the Mountain Mile development off the Parkway. Hours are not published on the store's website, so call ahead if you are planning around a specific time. It pairs easily with an afternoon of browsing or mini golf at the Mountain Mile, and it is a good rainy-day stop for finding gifts to bring home.

Photo: Coal Miner's Daughter Mercantile

Did You Know

• The mercantile describes itself as home to more than 300 small businesses across its stores (Coal Miner's Daughter Mercantile).
• Founder Tabitha Estep named the store for her father, who worked in the coal mines of Southwest Virginia (Coal Miner's Daughter Mercantile).
• Many vendors were first found by searching Etsy for local makers who did not have a storefront (Coal Miner's Daughter Mercantile).
• Vendors keep 80 percent of their sales proceeds, with the store covering staff, utilities and marketing (Coal Miner's Daughter Mercantile).