Lucy’s Market: A Locally Grown Success Story

Kim Wilson never planned to own a vegetable stand.  Originally from Florida, she moved to Atlanta over 30 years ago.  After retiring from a successful career at the Atlanta Business Chronicle, she was faced with the challenge of needing to return to work in order to support herself as well as her two children.

Dreading the idea of returning to Corporate America, she decided to put her passion for fresh vegetables and produce to work.  Her goal as she states it was to, “offer people things I love that they will love too.”  Kim grew up with an Aunt who loved to grow fresh vegetables and this gift was passed on to her.  For four years she had been growing vegetables in the backyard of her home in Chastain Park.  She also had a keen eye for tastes that people appreciate as well as a knack for numbers.  She combined her passion and skills with necessity and Lucy’s Market was born.  The name Lucy’s Market comes from her grandmother Lucy and her daughter (Lucy) who was named after her grandmother.

The opportunity arose when a gentleman who had peddled fresh vegetables at a truck stand at the corner of Wieuca and Roswell Road passed away.  Kim’s friends convinced her to open her own produce stand in an old gas station located on Roswell Road, just down from the farmer’s old truck stand.  Every morning, Kim would wake up early and get to the farmer’s market at 5:00 am to handpick and purchase fresh produce.  She would then return home to get her then Jr. High School and High School aged children to school and go right back to the gas station to set up her market for the day.  After one year in business, Kim had developed a loyal customer base and was able to move her business into the front of a building on the corner of West Paces Ferry.

Lucy’s Market’s popularity and customer base continues to grow the old-fashioned way: word-of-mouth.  People from Buckhead and the surrounding areas come to Lucy’s for the personalized service, beautiful produce and a pleasant, informal shopping experience.  As Kim puts it, “you can feel comfortable stopping into Lucy’s Market in your yoga clothes or straight from the pool or tennis court.”  After five years, Lucy’s Market was so successful that she was able to move her store into a much larger space located at the back of the same building on Paces Ferry Road.  She then expanded her business to include baked goods, wines, jams, honey, flowers, seasonal gifts, and locally prepared foods, in addition to locally farmed produce.  Today, Lucy’s Market is one of Atlanta’s favorite places to purchase hostess gifts, teacher’s gifts, books, dinner for new mothers, flowers, baskets for Chastain concerts, wines and more.

Even with this growth and success, Kim still enjoys going to the farmer’s market to hand-select her produce.  She admits that the success of Lucy’s Market did not come without sacrifices and that she has made some mistakes along the way.  She has learned from each of her mistakes and continues to work hard everyday.  She credits the success of Lucy’s Market to her great employees and loyal customers.  In fact, she views her customers as friends and gets great pleasure in bringing “a little bit of the country to Buckhead everyday.”  She also appreciates her “incredible employees that she could never have made it without.”

Kim had a vision for Lucy’s Market and the drive to see it through.  Now, it is much bigger than she ever dreamed.  She continues to reinvest in the company to make it even better than it already is.  Recently, Lucy’s Market launched a website offering custom gift baskets that can be shipped all over the country.  She also offers gift baskets in her store that can be custom-made and carried out.  With Lucy’s Market, Kim found a niche in the market and provided a unique offering that “brings love and happiness to a lot of people.”  Her success serves as a vivid example of what happens when necessity is met with passion and hard work.

If you would like to get more information about Lucy’s Market, please visit their website at www.Lucysmarket.com.  If you would like to purchase a gift basket online, please visit www.Lucysgiftbaskets.com.  Better yet, schedule some time to visit their store located at:  102 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30305.
Phone: (404) 869-9222 Market
Hours:  Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 6 pm
Saturday – 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday – Closed

Written and Posted by Beth Schultz on the Behalf of Concierge Services of Atlanta, Inc.