The People’s Emporium is located on W. Broad Street in downtown Elizabethtown.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
This is the back room that serves as a meeting/craft area for gatherings.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
Shelves in the party room with all of the craft supplies!
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
The People’s Emporium has many unique gifts like these lotion candles. One of the tiny trolls is hidden in this photo. Can you find it?
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
Once Mary and Dwayne realized how popular disc golf is in the area, they made sure to keep supplies in stock!
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
Mary is committed to selling items that are unique and full of humor, like these “Real Housewives of E-Town” hats. There are also hats for other Bladen County towns.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
The People’s Emporium has tons of unique non-electronic children’s toys.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
Mary and Wayne Miller, owners of The People’s Emporium.
Courtesy of Mary Miller
Mary Miller and employee Jocelynn Powell pose in between hiding trolls.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
Courtesy of Mary Miller
Courtesy of Mary Miller
ELIZABETHTOWN — When you walk into The People’s Emporium in downtown Elizabethtown, you can’t help but feel welcome as either Mary or Dwayne Miller (and sometimes both) always greet you with genuine, warm enthusiasm. Currently, the store is filled with the sound of Christmas music, holiday gifts, and the usual gleefully eclectic items sold year-round.
Finding community in a new place can be difficult, especially when it seems like everyone is already happy with the way things are. Shaking things up in such a comfortably established area can be a challenge, but it’s a challenge Mary and Dwayne are eager to conquer.
Mary and Dwayne cut the ribbon for The People’s Emporium in downtown Elizabethtown on June 15 of this year and have spent many moments since planning how their charming shop can offer something new and exciting to Bladen County.
The latest addition to the Emporium is in the room at the back of the store that Mary and Dwayne have been tirelessly remodeling. The room is available to host gatherings of all kinds. It can be booked for business meetings, bible study, birthday parties, and basically any other kind of gathering a person could conceive.
Although the room can be booked for various events, Mary explained that her long-term goal for the space is to be more than just an area to rent. “I want this to be a space for people to commune with each other,” said Mary. “I want people to know we’re here and that they’re welcome to come in and paint or just hang out when they have some free time.”
Filled with unique items from across the country and throughout the world, The People’s Emporium has something unique for each and every person to discover. Disc golf gear has its own section at the front of the store and cornhole boards line the walls. While walking through the store, you can find handcrafted jewelry, cute and quirky kitchenware, humorous gift bags, wall clocks that play music, various engraved wooden and metal objects that Dwayne makes himself, and so much more. If you look hard enough, you can also find tiny trolls hidden by employee Jocelyn Powell.
There are so many things in the works at The People’s Emporium as Dwayne and Mary work to bring a fun, comforting space to Bladen County where people can make crafts, commune, eat, and find a gift for a loved one (or for yourself). “I was listening to a Bible study that pointed out that the most precious moments of fellowship in the Bible were during meals,” says Mary Miller before playfully following up with “I guess that’s why Baptists have so many potlucks!”
Truly, the only way to discover all that The People’s Emporium has to offer is to pay Mary, Dwayne, and Jocelynn a visit, hunt for some trolls and allow them to guide you around the store to explain the stories of the items they have. One thing is for sure, everything in that building has an interesting story.