The rural town of Marilla on the eastern side of Erie County might not strike you as a shopping destination—but the Marilla Country Store would say otherwise.
“If we don’t have it, you don’t really need it,” laughs owner Sandy Grunzweig.
The store sits on the corner of Bullis and Two Rod roads in Marilla, just as it has since 1851, and it is truly filled to the brim with products. But don’t take my word for it; this is a sensory destination worth experiencing for yourself.
“It’s not about dash in and out,” Sandy says. “We want you to hear the creaking floors under your feet, smell the nuts roasting, and peruse every cubby in every room.”
Every nook and cranny is put to use, and to see it all, you may want to deploy a little strategy.
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Start with a basket; you’ll need it. The first floor is a feast of staples and surprises: soup mixes, spices, pie fillings, cheeses, jams, teas, local honey and maple syrup. Candy galore lines the shelves, from old-fashioned finds that take you whizzing down Memory Lane to modern favorites. Tucked into the corners are toys and hardware, while Millie’s Country Closet offers racks of women’s apparel and jewelry.
The second-floor shifts with the seasons. Gifts, decor, and themed rooms reveal themselves as you wander: baby, pets, celebrations, even a “Man Cave.” A perennial draw is the colorful Polish pottery. You’ll also find the Marilla Country Store Museum, which offers a quieter moment of browsing amongst artifacts from the store’s 175-year history and a well-worn guestbook full of signatures.
“We had a customer who found her father’s signature in the guestbook, and she would come came back to shop and look for the signature again and again,” Sandy says. “Being here made her feel close to him.”
The store honors its past while staying firmly planted in the present. In its earliest days, customers bartered eggs and milk for fabric or hardware. In the 1970s, it rented VHS tapes. Today, alongside pantry goods and gifts, trendy finds like Jellycat stuffed animals fill the shelves.
“We like to say it’s the antidote to online shopping,” says Sandy. “Online shopping is all about convenience and just getting it done. This is the opposite. Come make an afternoon of it.”
During my visit, my mom and I made our way through every room, calling out to each other, “Do you remember this?” “Did you see these?” “How cool is this?” as our baskets grew heavier with each turn. We doubled back, convinced we had missed something, only to find another tucked-away nook worth exploring.
By the time we checked out, it felt less like shopping and more like a scavenger hunt we didn’t want to end. We grabbed one of the store’s $6 subs and ate it in the car, unwrapping our finds and comparing our treasures.
Sandy was right. I needed that.
