May Welcome – Live Well, Travel Well, and Breathe Hatteras Island

Shine a light on shopping

With more visitors returning to Hatteras Island, and stores returning to normal hours for the season, now is a great time get out and meet local retailers and small businesses. Be sure to drop by and say hello to your favorite shop, show your support, and give yourself the little retail therapy boost you deserve.

It’s great meeting the people behind the gift shops, boutiques, art galleries, general stores, specialist deli’s, watersports outfitters, fishing tackle shops, seafood markets, coffee shops, and more. There are monthly local art shows, and weekly craft and farmer markets opening at the end of this month offering a wide array of handicrafts and produce. For some feel-good bargain hunting, visit the hotline thrift store in Rodanthe, and soon-to-open second location in Frisco (with proceeds going to those in need).

Talk is good, and there is a lot to be said about retail therapy!

Numerous studies have been done on the benefits of retail therapy—and I don’t mean shop until you drop spending sprees. We’ve all been there—when you need to get out of the house, cheer yourself up, and regain your sense of control. Most successful retailers welcome browsers with no pressure to purchase. Dealing with people every day, shopkeepers are natural psychologists and excellent at reading different personalities; offer a place to escape to and be there to listen, or help you choose earrings and put some sparkle back in your life!

So who is sitting behind the cash register? Often, it’s a friendly face who’s happy to share their passions, and talk up a storm with tales of island life, insider tips, and local customs. Some folks have families going back generations, and others followed their dreams for a life at the beach or here to simply enjoy their retirement. Everyone has a backstory or a previous life. Now free to channel their creative energies or maybe juggling jobs to stay afloat. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself chatting with a kindergarten teacher, a surgeon, a decorated veteran, a professor of the arts, a retired sports hero, NASA engineer, a life coach, or a world-wide adventurer who traveled the seven seas to get to here—as they ring up your purchase and stuff your shopping bag.

Photo credit: gonghuimin468