Nauvoo Market Place

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The Nauvoo Market Place Story

“Sharon Cohen and her husband . . . moved from California in 2011, stroke survivors both of them, after her husband received a message in prayer that they should move to Nauvoo specifically, and that they specifically should move in May. . . . When they decided to make the move, it came at a time when she had lost her job, and was lost for what to do. With this new direction from prayer, they started a Go Fund Me campaign, raised the funds to get across the country to Nauvoo, by the time they arrived, had a home to live in, jobs to make their way, and friends, or family you could say, to welcome them to their new home. Now Sharon [with Bruce] runs the Nauvoo Market Place, an antique mall/flee market, which is something she said she always wanted in the place where she lives.” Excerpt from Day 46, Layover in Nauvoo by Relay of Voices https://www.facebook.com/relayofvoices

The Nauvoo Market Place was created on September 15th, 2018 for locals from the tri-state area to sell their wares. It should remind us of a Peddler’s Market or a European-style marketplace. A young man recently remarked, “OH! It’s like Etsy® but real!” The Nauvoo Market Place invites and hosts local vendors of handmade items, collectibles, vintage and antiques. The store generally offers wares from over 80 vendors and has enjoyed the variety of nearly 100 providers during this past summer (2019). The unique shopping experience is housed in a re-purposed grocery store building that served its neighbors near the banks of the Mississippi River in Hancock County, Illinois for over 40 years. Loss of the final grocery store, The Nauvoo Market, left the building vacant and depressing. Many now remark that it is wonderful to see and enjoy “life in the old place”.

Bruce Cohen is responsible for customer service and risk management. After suffering a massive stroke which left him (for nearly 10 years) without language and paralyzed on the right side, Bruce was trained by Deseret Industries in Sacramento, CA and then secured a job with Target Stores in their Garden Center.Finding little need for his skill set in Nauvoo, it became obvious that a place would need to be newly created. From that desire and Sharon’s wish for a local and eclectic shopping experience came the birth of the Nauvoo Market Place. Sharon focuses her efforts on merchandising, marketing and vendor services. Vendor fees are kept low and enticing in hopes that vendors will find personal and financial success when associating their time and talents with the Nauvoo Market Place.

In their first summer, the Nauvoo Market Place hosted two food trucks in their parking lot. These businesses served a two-fold purpose. “If you feed them, they will come” was the first reason for bringing in the food trucks. Food trucks were expected to bring new visitors and tourists. It was also historically obvious that tourists were leaving Nauvoo to find food when the local establishments became over-crowded. Nauvoo’s anticipated retail income left with them. When the food trucks began serving things habits began to change. As hoped, the crowds came to eat, stayed and shopped the fledgling Nauvoo Market Place and other local retailers.

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