Shopping in Cornelius
Recommended Shopping by Groupon Customers
One Christmas when Skinny Wheels founder Eric Phillips was young, his dad bought the entire family 10-speed bicycles for Christmas. Nearly every weekend after, he rode with his brother and father five miles into town for a biscuit breakfast before enjoying a leisurely ride back home. After years of riding for fitness and participating in races, he began a cycling club in Mocksville to encourage casual cyclists to explore Mocksville’s back roads and small-town geography. After finding that the lack of a local bike shop deterred riders who worried about getting a flat or repairing their own bikes, Phillips opened Skinny Wheels Bike Shop to fill that inconvenient gap.
Through the Skinny Wheels store, weekly summer rides, and cycling advocacy, Phillips hopes to nurture a casual cycling culture in Mocksville and encourage those who remain wary of cycling after being bitten in their youth by wild bikes. The shop’s mechanics custom-build bikes and tackle mechanical problems on everything from high-end cycles to department-store bikes. Fuji, Terry, Breezer, and Kestrel bikes cater to men and women traveling on the road, biking over dirt trails, or competing in triathlons, whereas used bikes provide an affordable starting point for new cyclists. Phillips summarizes cycling’s appeal by saying, “You experience life more on a bicycle than in a car,” whether you’re inhaling the fresh breeze over an open field or finding beauty in neighborhoods that a driver may ignore.
A treadmill might not be the first thing you’d picture in an athletic store, but for the skilled staff of Charlotte Running Co., it’s a key step in the art of finding the perfect fit. After lacing up or sweet-talking on a pair of shoes from Adidas, Nike, Saucony, or Brooks, patrons hop aboard the treadmill, and the ‘gait analysis’ begins. Aided by a video feedback system, the specialists analyze each both the customer’s strides and the performance of the shoes to identify the ideal levels of support and cushioning, as well as the perfect fit–a process made much more precise by seeing the fancy footwear in action.
In addition to running shoes that can help increase speed and safety, Charlotte Running Co. can outfit its patrons in other jog-friendly gear. The FuelBelt keeps much-needed fluids at the ready on long runs, while shirts from Nike and Asics help to keep bodies cool, reducing runners' need to jog in the penguin habitat at their local zoo.
Since 1989, Play It Again Sports has been keeping sports green, recycling gently used athletic equipment into new-to-you gear. Products from brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Wilson make up each store's enormous selection of new and recycled gear, which is replenished daily with goods for a wide selection of sports that ranges from baseball and football to snowboarding, skis, and ice skates. Treadmills and exercise bikes equip bodies with muscular suits of armor, and pintsize and adolescent equipment arms youngsters with protective padding until they eat enough bologna to grow muscles of their own. Knowledgeable staffers man the Greensboro and the new Winston-Salem locations, ready to answer questions and arrange gear deliveries or pick-ups. To ensure their stock remains robust, they also encourage athletes to collect their lightly used gear—including bicycles—and bring it into a local store to either sell or trade.
As one of the largest and most established maternity-wear franchises in the United States, Pickles & Ice Cream outfits moms-to-be and their bundles of joy with helpful gifts and stylish clothing from well-known labels. Designers such as Spanx, Prego, Seraphine, and More of Me dress expecting shoppers to the nines in eye-catching lingerie, swimwear, and outerwear suitable for any occasion, and adorable babywear swaddles infants in comfortable, colorful ensembles. Like a cocktail dress with plenty of cargo pockets, diaper bags from Babymel fuse fashionability with function, Pickles & Ice Cream’s assortment of thoughtful gifts of skincare and babycare essentials stock shower gift baskets.
Like many women and retired manikins, Salice Boutique owner Kristen adored fashion, but wanted affordable, flattering styles she could really wear. She began selling apparel by indie designers out of her spare bedroom, but the business became so popular she decided to open up a true storefront. Her airy boutique, nested inside a white clapboard house, stocks feminine fashions in hard-to-find brands such as Miss Me Jeans, Tulle, Karlie Clothing, and Joyous & Free. Dresses in bold, vibrant prints can go from casual to glamorous with the change of a Lindsay Phillips sandal strap, and handmade jewelry by Lori Snyder brightens outfits with colorful beads, stones, and petrified rainbows.
Z Home Furnishings enlivens drab spaces with fashionable living-room and bedroom sets and colorful home decor. Original oil paintings and folksy, art-covered planks adorn walls with charming landscapes and slogans, and custom-upholstery services breathe new life into worn or outdated chairs. Individual pieces and complete furniture sets from renowned brands such as Coaster, Distinction Leather, and Paladin gussy up interiors, and the store’s online room planner allows customers to preplan their living arrangements without hauling heavy sofas or herding unruly flocks of ottomans.
