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STERLING — Kari Carpenter’s love for the Midwest runs so deep that it is now the heart of her small business.
Carpenter owns The Midwest Mercantile and sells a collection of carefully curated, “giftable” items from other Midwest- and women-owned businesses, including clothing, jewelry, candles and beauty products.
“I’ve always loved supporting other businesses,” Carpenter said. “So, I thought I could bring something kind of cool to the table by curating products that speak to the Midwest that I love so much.”
An Iowa native with “strong Midwest roots,” Carpenter now lives in Morrison and has family ties in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
She launched The Midwest Mercantile two years ago while continuing to work full time in corporate accounting. Drawing on more than 20 years of retail experience, Carpenter began selling her products at pop-up markets and within shared retail spaces, eventually landing a spot at the Shoppes at Grandon Plaza in downtown Sterling.
Located at 312 Second Ave., the retail incubator, run by Sterling Main Street, opened in 2023 to help online, home-based and brand-new entrepreneurs grow toward permanent brick-and-mortar locations.
Carpenter admitted that entrepreneurship pushed her outside of her comfort zone.
“It gets easier the more that time goes on,” Carpenter said. “Plus, Sterling Main Street has done a great job of promoting the shops here.”
The Midwest Mercantile also operates online at themidwestmercantile.com, where customers can browse the full selection and enjoy free shipping. Carpenter has her sights set on expanding to a larger, permanent storefront in the future.
“I’m looking forward to growing and expanding, offering more products and getting feedback from people on what they want to see,” Carpenter said. “I’m very excited.”
The store’s hours are regularly posted for the month on the Sterling Main Street website at sterlingmainstreet.org. For more information, message Carpenter at themwmercantile@gmail.com.