Mayflower Mercantile Sells Flowers and More

Mayflower is not a big city, and local entrepreneur Sandara Bridges wanted to bring in an enterprise that would keep people shopping in town. That’s why she opened Mayflower Mercantile & Petals Florist.  

The merchandise ranges from clothes, jewelry and locally made gifts and trinkets to homemade foods, including jams, jellies, breads and candy that is healthier than what the big-box stores offer, Bridges said. There is also a full-service floral department.

Business has been good since the store opened in November, and customers come in from all over central Arkansas, Bridges said. "Everyone who comes [to the store] comes back, and [they] bring other people," she said. "I’m encouraged about it."

Bridges said the biggest hurdle facing her business was Mayflower’s small size.
"It’s hard for a business to survive in a small community," she said. "People don’t think to stop and shop here."

She said knowing what the population wants was critical, as well as providing unusual, high-quality products so shoppers will keep coming back.

Bridges has lived and worked in Mayflower for more than 30 years and is a member of the Mayflower Economic Development Committee.

Mayflower Mercantile & Petals Florist is located at 637 Hwy. 365 and can be reached by calling (501) 470-3400.