The Cardinal Market flies into Morgantown just in time for the holiday shopping rush.
When Cardinal Market of Morgantown opened in Morgantown in November just in time to offer its West Virginia–handmade products to holiday shoppers, owner Shaylee Vanoy had good reason to believe the store would succeed—because it already had elsewhere.
The original Cardinal Market opened in 2020 in Vienna, West Virginia, near Parkersburg, as a place where makers from around the state could sell their products within the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizer only planned on staying open for a few months, but it was such a success that she decided to keep a good thing going—then she tied in 2021 for Best Place to Buy WV-Made Products in WV Living magazine’s “Best Of” awards.
A vendor in that first shop with Harper Headbands Boutique, Vanoy took ownership of the already successful Cardinal Market at the beginning of 2022 and quickly racked up WV Living “Best Of” wins for not only Best Place to Buy WV-Made Products, but also Best Gift Shop.
With so much love from marketgoers, expanding was a natural move. “I wanted to give other local artists the same chance as Vienna,” says Vanoy. One location just wasn’t big enough, but two makes it so much easier.
The Cardinal Market at the Morgantown Mall is an open space filled with unique displays and eye-catching treasures. The care vendors put into their products is matched by the care Cardinal Market puts into curating and supporting them. Walking around this location, you’ll find a huge variety, everything from stunning jewelry by Happily Handmade Clay of Bruceton Mills to rustic air-plant holders for all your plant-children from Macky’s Treehouse right here in Morgantown. Midnight Solstice’s fragrant candles, also made in Morgantown, draw you in as you walk by. And what Morgantown resident doesn’t want to be greeted by the familiar blue and gold of Overlook Design Studio’s unique mountain mama gear?
Roughly 35 vendors make up Cardinal Market of Morgantown so far. “We’re looking to fill it up!” Vanoy says. If you’re a local creator looking to become a member of the Cardinal Market team, consider social media as a good place to establish a presence for your business. “I am really big on social media,” says Vanoy. “I look at how vendors interact with potential customers and their products. And I don’t accept duplicates of products in either store—there’s no competition.”
Visit the Cardinal Market of Morgantown Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m.–7 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
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