SOMERS — KK’s This n’ That Shop in Somers is, in many ways, an idea born out of convenience.
Owners Karen Campbell and her husband, Delbert, purchase real estate for investment purposes and five years ago bought the building on 138 Main St., which now serves as the home to KK’s This n’ That Shop.
“At the time it had two apartments above, which we still rent out, and a space below which once housed a computer store but was now empty,” Campbell said.
The question was what to do with the open space.
“We toyed with a lot of different ideas, even renting it out to another business, but there was no interest at the time. So, we decided to keep it for our own use. We ultimately went with something that I was comfortable with after working in a convenience store for a number of years but didn’t want it to be your typical convenience store when there was another down the road. We wanted something different that would make you stop here,” Campbell said.
And it certainly is different.
“I’m not just a gift shop or coffee shop or thrift shop. It’s so very hard to say exactly what I am — a little bit of everything as our name implies,” she shared.
KK’s This n’ That Shop — KK is her nickname — isn’t your everyday convenience store for lack of a better word, not a place where you stop on the way home to pick up a bread and some milk, although they do carry a limited number of groceries such as canned goods including Chef Boyardee and Campbell Soup, and sardines. Other groceries include peanut butter, Marshmallow Fluff, Hershey Syrup, cereal, condiments from ketchup to mustard to mayonnaise, jars of pasta sauce and boxes of pasta and macaroni and cheese, cookies, coffee, candies, potato chips, nuts and so much more.
Also, among the store’s five rooms, customers can find items such as sandwich bags, paper plates, foils, lotions, toys, oil and antifreeze, lightbulbs, pots and soil, decorations for the home and other gift items, as well as a few over-the-counter medications such as Ibuprofen and Tylenol.
In the cooler, there are drinks such as Coke, iced tea, water, vitamin water and others to choose from on a hot day. And, if it is just a cup of coffee you desire, there are K-Cup Pods to make, or Campbell might even brew up a fresh pot of coffee.
For those who like to fish — Somersville Pond is close-by — Campbell has bait and tackle — she said for tackle you would have to travel to Enfield — and sells fishing rods, lures, hooks and other gear.
Campbell is all about promoting local vendors and farms.
In the spring she sells plants and in the fall pumpkins, mums and cornstalks.
During the summer growing season, Campbell brings in from area farms — including Baggot Family Farms in East Windsor, Meadowbrook Farm from East Longmeadow, and Burnham Farms in East Hartford and others — fresh corn, strawberries, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers.
“I had fresh corn I was selling around the Fourth of July and priced it at just $7.50 a dozen. I only buy what local farmers are selling that I can sell back to my customers at a decent price,” Campbell said.
She also grows her own hot and sweet peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and cucumbers. Basil, lemon balm, and parsley are also available and clipped fresh when customers stop in. Sage, chives and mint can be purchased with a one-day notice.
Campbell doesn’t sell any meats, although you can sometimes find bacon in her cooler to go with the eggs she sells. They are farm fresh eggs from her own chickens sold at a bargain price of $3.99 for a dozen.
“I’m not making any money on them given the upkeep of the chickens, who are treated very well. The idea was to sell the eggs as a way to bring people into the store. However, they became so popular that some folks just stop in for the eggs, and it defeats my original purpose, she said.
Campbell’s desire to support and provide for the community in which they make their home in Somers also extends to local crafters.
“They put a lot of work into what they do and oftentimes have no means to market their products. Some places take too much money from them to sell their handmade items, but I make it affordable for them and stock my shelves with their many creations,” Campbell said.
She currently has about 14 crafters represented in her store who make goat milk soaps, fishing lures, earrings made from shells and other jewelry, sayings made with Scrabble tiles, T-shirts, soy candles, macrame items, tumblers with decorations added, fire starters, wine glass charms, pottery cups that hold hot and cold beverages, glasses, and more. There are also homemade food items to bring home to the kitchen such as jams, jellies and canned items such as pickles and cauliflower made by Deborah Szemreylo of Westernview Farm in West Stafford.
Campbell also extends an invitation to anyone who wants to come and set up a tent outside the front of the store, where they can sell their crafts and other items. She has even welcomed Girl Scouts selling their cookies and children who want to set up a lemonade stand. And it is all at no charge if they coordinate everything themselves.
Customers can also find a real bargain in the shop’s thrift area filled with second-hand clothing for men, women and children.
“It’s buy one for a dollar get one,” Campbell said. “Some of the donated clothing belonged to me and also comes from other family members like my sister and friends. Others just stop into the store with old clothing that is still useful and they want to see them put to good use.”
While attending college, Campbell majored in education and minored in psychology, which has served her well over the years as a listening ear — like a bartender behind the bar — for some customers who just need to talk with someone.
“Sometimes people just need to reach out to others. The older we get, the people who mean the most to us either move on and we lose contact with them, or they pass away. If you are still living and surviving, there sometimes are not a lot of friends left to talk with. If I’m not busy, I don’t mind sitting out on the porch with them, or inside during the colder months, chatting about politics, the weather, whatever, or sometimes just sitting together and watching the cars go by. It’s all good,” she shared.
Making everything she sells affordable to customers is not always profitable for the shop owner, but Campbell wouldn’t have it any other way for her loyal clientele.
“It would be hard if my husband wasn’t still working. After opening on Jan. 28, 2022, in a snowstorm, nothing was going to stop us, the store is not self-sufficient yet. I don’t take a salary and all the money goes back into the store. My goal is to be able to hire someone who can work full-time. Then I could pretty much just come in to do the paperwork and leave at some point,” she said.
One of her helpers is named Neeko, who works alongside her every day.
“Neeko is a rescue dog from down South. He’s a Louisiana Calhoun Leopard mixed with a Golden Retriever. I swear people stop in to just see him. He’s 11 years old and people love him,” she said.
Shop hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The store isn’t open on Thanksgiving or Christmas, but Campbell does open on some holidays such as the Fourth of July. She recommends checking the shop’s Facebook page which posts closings.
KK’s This n’ That Shop has no website or listed phoned number, however, Campbell can be reached on Facebook Messenger or by email at Kkthisnthatshop@gmail.com.
