It’s unusual, but some people aren’t even aware Country Charms and Nancy’s Etc. sell gifts.

“A lot of people don’t realize we have a gift shop because we are mainly a beauty salon,” Nancy’s Etc. employee Hailey Williams Huskey said.

Country Charms co-owner Joe Brown said he has had people come into the store not knowing it existed, even though it has been in Atmore for well over two decades.

Both actually do sell gifts and have an impressive array of items for holiday shoppers, items that Atmore residents may not instantly think about when drawing up a list for local gift buying.

“We just sell typical gifts and a lot of it has to do with Alabama and Auburn,” Brown said. “I’ve still got a lot of merchandise.”

Among merchandise that will be different than in years’ past is a selection of rocking horses.

“That’s something different than we’ve had in a long time,” Brown said.

The rocking horses come in three different sizes and imitate the sounds real horses make, such as the click-clack of their hooves and the horse whinny.

“We do carry engravable awards a lot of people give this time of year,” Brown said.

He also added wind chimes with Bible verses on them as an item they sell that isn’t among the ordinary items.

Nancy’s Etc. also sells a wide variety of gifts with a mix of the familiar and perhaps unfamiliar.

“We sell flags that you put up at the front of your house,” Williams Huskey said. “We have the Tervis tumblers. We also have a large selection of purses. We have a lot to choose from.”

Like Country Charms and most gift shops around the state, Nancy’s Etc. has plenty of Alabama and Auburn-themed items.

Williams Huskey said they have a large selection of pewter serving items. Pewter is an easy to clean soft metal used to construct items like plates, bowls, cups, trays and punch bowls among other things.

Nancy’s Etc. has an abundance of holiday-themed items as well.

“We have holiday hand towels, some of the pewter serving items are holiday-themed and we have Christmas wreaths,” Williams Huskey said.

Atmore Chamber of Commerce Director Sheryl Vickery hopes shoppers will consider local stores first.

“My saying has always been: just give Atmore a chance before you go out somewhere else,” Vickery said. “Let’s try Atmore, give Atmore a chance and then go elsewhere.”

Williams Huskey said Nancy’s Etc. will work with customers to help them find their gift needs.

“We can probably get anything they’re looking for,” she said.
If they don’t have it in stock, they will gladly order it.

Vickery said by shopping locally, customers help build up the local community’s economy.

“I shop local,” she said. “Nine out of 10 times I’ll find it. I think the problem is people don’t go out to try to find anything. Try local businesses and try to shop local.”

Vickery said she’s always had a positive response to products bought locally.

“No matter where I am, I always get compliments,” she said. “I had someone at Disney World the other week compliment me on my jewelry and asked where I got it and I said Atmore, Ala. from Jus Because.”

Country Charms has gifts for every member of the family.

So far this year, wooden letters for front doors have sold well, but the company has gifts for inside the house like Yankee candles and gifts to be taken outside the house like children’s lunchboxes.

“We’ve got a gift for all ages,” Brown said. “From infants to grandmas and grandpas and both girls and boys.”