A Little Bit of Everything, a store that sells what the name suggests, recently opened in a storefront on U.S. 58, beside Circle K in the former Papa Larry’s building.
Started by Chris DeBruhl and Darren Diggs, the store is set to have a grand opening on Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with free hotdogs and drinks, and door prizes to “make it a fun day for everybody,” DeBruhl said.
Diggs and DeBruhl, both Patrick County natives and childhood friends, displayed their wares at Cook’s Flea Market in Winston-Salem, N.C., for years. DeBruhl said he and Diggs felt they had something to offer Patrick County, especially with the economy.
“We decided we wanted to come home and sell to some of the people in Patrick County and let them in on some of the good deals we got because anything in here is less expensive than any place that you can buy it” locally. “To help them maybe make it through a little easier,” he said.
DeBruhl said Diggs has been in the business for about 30 years, while he’s been in it for about four.
Diggs has “got a lot of contacts and everything,” he said.
The store currently sells belts, shirts, hats, medicine, tools, shoes, wallets, batteries, baby clothes and equipment, and other items. DeBruhl added that everything the store sells is brand new.
“All of our stuff is new stuff, no secondhand, especially on the clothes. All the clothes are brand new. Now some of the tools” are second hand “because we’ve traded, but I’d say maybe less than 10 percent of the tools are used, but they’re in very good shape,” he said.
The business is also already considering expanding to sell lawnmowers, golf carts, and used cars.
“We’re talking to a Toyota place in Bassett to sell a few used cars. We’re going to have, as the name implies, A Little Bit of Everything. Whatever we can acquire and pass the savings onto the people of Patrick County,” he said.
As they buy their merchandise in big quantities, whatever is for sale will be in the store for a while. Then, the merchandise will change as they buy different products.
For example, DeBruhl said the store currently has 30,000 belts in stock waiting to be sold.
“It’s whatever we come across. We’ve got vests and ties that come prom season or whatever, a vest and tie will cost them like $10. I mean you can’t buy a vest and tie for $10” anywhere else,” he said.
DeBruhl said he and Diggs purchased the ties and vests after a tuxedo store went out of business and they bought all of the unsold items.
“We bought like 10,000, so we got them for pennies on the dollar. We’re going to pass those (savings) onto people. We have to make a little bit to keep in business of course, that’s always true with a small business,” he said, adding that he enjoys seeing people’s faces “light up” when they see a deal.
The store consists of three rooms, but only the front room will house merchandise for sale.
“In the fall, we’re going to start having auctions here” in the back room, “once or twice a month. It’s going to be wholesalers coming in and auctioning wholesale stuff to individuals,” he said.
DeBruhl said anything wholesalers want to auction can be put on the bidding block as long as it’s new. The third side room will house inventory and serve as a space for wholesalers to back their trucks in for the auctions.
The back room “will be empty except for a few chairs. Hopefully, a lot of people will come out to the auctions. I remember when I was a kid, they had a few auctions around here. They were fun, I thought at the time, and I think people will enjoy it, just to come out and just for something to do,” he said.
DeBruhl said a Facebook page and a website for the business will be created in the future.
A Little Bit of Everything will be open Tuesdays-Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
