For more than 22 years, Barbara Mooney has been building Daisy’s Mercantile in Alameda, California, into a retail experience rooted in creativity, storytelling, and discovery. Now, her daughter Jillian is bringing her own perspective to the family business after growing up in the store, attending trade shows from a young age, and eventually stepping into a full-time role alongside her mom.
Together, Barbara and Jillian approach Daisy’s almost like a magazine, transforming the store through immersive seasonal themes while keeping its familiar personality intact. From thoughtfully planned buying and merchandising to elaborate handmade displays, classes, community events, and holiday installations, every detail is designed to tell a larger story and give customers a reason to keep exploring.
In this episode, Michelle catches up with Barbara and Jillian to dive into the creativity and strategy behind Daisy’s Mercantile. They share how their mother-daughter partnership has evolved, how they turn big creative ideas into organized buying and merchandising plans, and what goes into producing their unforgettable seasonal installations.
Barbara and Jillian also take us behind the scenes of their holiday process, including their Christmas on the Silver Screen concept, where different areas of the store were inspired by classic Christmas movies. They discuss creating clear gift niches within larger themes, giving their team visual tools to understand each concept, planning months ahead, and why they’re willing to close the store for several days to create a true reveal for their customers.
From balancing vision and execution to finding inspiration outside the four walls of the store, this conversation is packed with ideas for retailers who want to make shopping feel more personal, immersive, and memorable.
What's Inside:
Turning seasonal merchandising into storytelling: How Barbara and Jillian develop themes, displays, gift niches, and buying plans that make the entire store feel connected.
The strategy behind unforgettable holiday retail: From planning months in advance and hand-making props to closing the store for installation and creating that magical reveal for customers.
Growing a family business together: How Barbara and Jillian balance different ideas, divide responsibilities, learn from each other, and evolve Daisy’s for its next generation.
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