Caroline Ray's Outlet Mall now open in Lexington!
JACKSON, TENN (WNBJ)-
Caroline Rays Outlet Mall is new to Lexington but its owner Courtney Chaney isn’t new to the outlet business, “Me and my mother used to be vendors and I decided I didn't want to be a vendor anymore...and I just had the idea and two months later it's here," she said.
As soon as Courtney Chaney acted on her idea, vendors from the area immediately jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the outlet mall in Lexington, "close to 70 [vendors] inside and then out outside on the weekends, people can set up outside if they want food, trucks, that kind of thing….we have a waiting list for the inside. But I'm always accepting people for the waiting list," Chaney said.
Once Chaney decided to open her version of a flea market, she had to have a name, so why Caroline Ray’s?
“Caroline is my great-grandmother and Ray is my great-grandfather who has passed, so I just kind of combined their names, Caroline and Ray," Chaney said. "I went to their house every weekend of my entire life until I was probably a teenager," she continued.
Caroline Ray promises to have things you won’t find anywhere else, “I want a wide variety. I want a little bit of everything. I want new and old. I want antiques and then handmade crafts and just tools….I want it to be something where you can find a little bit of everything," said Chaney,
And so far, the response has been overwhelming: “so this weekend was crazy in the best way possible. It was we were slammed all weekend, but I couldn't have asked for anything different,” Chaney said.
Chaney believes her new business is good for the community: “You're supporting local businesses, small businesses by shopping with us. So that's what we're all about, everything... I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for obviously my family, but the vendors have been the best I could hope for.“
You can find Caroline Ray’s Outlet Mall on South Broad Street in Lexington. Vendors can get more information on Caroline Ray's website.