Southern Market: The Best Place to Shop in Knoxville

I had planned on writing about one of the numerous beautiful parks in our area this week, but after spending the weekend weeding, planting rhododendrons (I can’t believe they’re still alive), and picking blueberries and blackberries, I just couldn’t bring myself to spend another moment under the relentless sun. It was time for some retail therapy in an air conditioned building . So I headed out to the best place to shop in Knoxville…. Southern Market.

Let me start off by saying, I am the world’s worst gift giver. Not that I don’t want to give gifts. I simply don’t have the gift (sorry…) for picking out gifts. One of my sons does. I don’t know where he gets it from…definitely not from me.

My family has figured out this deficit in my character. Hubby and sons simply give me a list at Christmas and birthdays. Otherwise, I vacillate back and forth trying for the perfect gift only to end up ordering something from Amazon which always seems to arrive late (what happened to Prime two day shipping anyway)?

So last Christmas I was on the hunt for a gift for my mother-in-law. Let me just say, if I was a drinker, this is the kind of situation that would drive me to drink.

My mother-in-law is this petite woman who struggles to find clothing to fit, so clothes are out. My MIL is very talented when it comes to crafts or sewing. She can design and craft a card that will make you cry. And basically, she really has everything she needs. Just the kind of person you want to buy for, right?

It became my job to get her a Christmas gift. (Thanks, hubby). As I thought about it, I could feel the pressure rising.  And then I remembered The Southern Market. The last time I was there, they had some really unique gifts. I wondered if they might be the answer to my dilemma.

For those of you that aren’t aware, Southern Market is a European-style market with about 40 individual shops under one roof in the Bearden area. Susan Worthington and her mother Frances Sexton founded Southern Market more than 27 years ago. When they first began, in keeping with their vision of an upscale interiors market, they traveled more than 20,000 miles throughout the Southeast to select their first merchants.

And it worked…..because they have been voted Knoxville’s best gift shop in 2022 and 2023 (and probably before) and they’re ranked as the best place to shop in Knoxville by USA Today.

If you remember my blog post about Market Square’s Farmers Market, you’ll remember my emphasis on buying from small businesses. While not everything that you’ll find in the Southern Market is made locally, it is all marketed by local merchants, small businesses. In my opinion, buying from them is so much better than buying from Amazon and having it arrive late because well…..who knows what happened to 2-day prime shipping?

That winter afternoon, I headed to Southern Market to see if there was any way I could redeem myself as a daughter-in-law.  The smell of hot cocoa drew me into the festively decorated market. I was in luck; Southern Market was hosting a ladies’ night complete with cocoa and cookies.

Armed with my cup of cocoa (they even let you keep the cup when you finished…how cool is that?), I began the hunt. I immediately found several things I wanted, and a small generic gift for my MIL but nothing that showed any level of originality or thought.

And then I saw them….a shelf full of small colorful purses. As I looked closer, I realized each purse was a unique work of art made with a man’s tie and adorned with carefully selected decorative pins.

I was so excited because I knew this was right up my MIL’s alley. She would appreciate the creativity and craftsmanship. She would also be touched by the fact that it was produced by a woman who had recently arrived in Knoxville from Afghanistan with her husband and 5 children. 

That night, I left Southern Market with my mission accomplished: a unique and memorable gift for my MIL.

With life as busy as it’s been, I hadn’t had the chance to get back to Southern Market. So, when I decided I needed to write about something that was in an air conditioned building instead of under the broiling hot sun, I immediately thought about Southern Market.

On a sunny Tuesday in June, I decided to go back. This time was different. I wasn’t here for a specific gift, so I could take my time browsing.

Southern Market has some easily accessible parking spaces beside it and more parking in the back lot. I snagged one of the only shaded spaces and headed on in.

At the entrance you can either go out into a courtyard and check out the various outdoor items, or you can grab a cart and continue past the cash register to the majority of the shops.

Just a note: customers pay for all merchandise at the front of the building. At Christmas it was a little busy, but I didn’t feel the wait was unreasonable.

The whole premise of the Southern Market is the ability to shop a variety of businesses all under one roof. And they do have a good variety. I’m sure the selection changes throughout the year, so I can see where you’d want to check back and see what new treasures you can find.

And that’s exactly how I felt when I shopped at the Southern Market. It was like a treasure hunt. What could I find that I wouldn’t find anywhere else?  Peeking into each small shop, I was delighted to find clothing, jewelry, handcrafted wooden gifts, beautiful photographs, decorative items for my home, coffee, and hand drawn prints.

With UT’s recent baseball triumph, I knew I could find some really cool UT gifts and I did. While I found UT coasters, UT puzzles and jewelry, and of course, UT clothing, one of the most unique gifts was a set of six football decorated gourmet Oreos.

Created by Berryliciousbouquets, these, and the chocolate stiletto that was perched on the bookshelf in the aisle, caught my attention. What a creative gift for a hubby who loves UT football (yeah, I know we were talking about baseball, but hey, it’s UT). Maybe they had baseball Oreos and ran out.

Southern Markets also has a selection of those “things you didn’t know you needed but when you see them you can’t do without them”. My favorite item this trip was a magnifying glass with an LED light. I hate to admit this, but the last time hubby asked me to pull out a splinter I was basically “operating” blindfolded. I could barely see the thing. This magnifying glass has a 5x magnification with an LED light, so hubby should really appreciate it.

I ended up backtracking past a few shops, but most people won’t have this problem. In addition, while the main aisles seem wide enough for a wheelchair, some of the shops might be a tight squeeze for someone with mobility issues. *

You might think that it would get a little claustrophobic with so many small shops in one building. I didn’t find that to be the case. I think the strategically placed skylights prevent the building from becoming too claustrophobic or dreary.

Oh…I guess you want the details like where it is and when they’re open. The Southern Market is located at 5400 Homberg Drive. Their hours are Monday – Saturday from 10-6pm. You can find them online here or check out their Facebook page.

1. Southern Market has a variety of shops with unique gifts all under one roof which can certainly reduce time spent driving around.
2. They offer several “events” throughout the year that make shopping more exciting. Follow them on Facebook to keep up to date. These events would be a lot of fun with a couple of girlfriends.
3. Southern Market also offers a “rewards” program. You can sign up at checkout. You get a stamp for every $10 spent. Once you collect 10 stamps, you are eligible to choose a free gift from a selection at the front of the store.
4. If you’re purchasing a gift, you can have it placed in a gift bag with decorative ribbon.
5. They offer free coffee. While it’s not a latte, give it enough cream and sugar and it will work.

1. While I did see some markdowns, Southern Market is not the place to go if you’re only looking for bargains. Many of the items sold here are hand crafted and that doesn’t come cheaply.
2. Navigating in Southern Market might be a little tricky, especially in some of the shops. In addition, this probably isn’t the place you want to bring small children. There are too many breakables.
3. I think you will find shopping at Southern Market very frustrating if you are in a hurry. You need to set aside at least an hour to fully appreciate what Southern Market has to offer. 

What about you? Have you been to Southern Market? If so, slide a comment into the selection below. And, if you haven’t done it already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

• My opinions about the accessibility of a business, park, or any other place mentioned on my website are strictly my opinions. Only you are aware of any and all of your accessibility issues, and only you can safely make decisions on what is right for you.