I had the opportunity to visit the Stirling Soap Company's store in Paris, Arkansas, as I was visiting the general area. Let's be frank, there's nothing near Paris, Arkansas, a quaint little coal mining town with a population of just over 3,200 residents. The most notable business in town is Stirling Soap Company.
Stirling Soap Company's brick & mortar store was not what I expected. I thought I'd see a small shop and be overwhelmed by scents the moment I entered. Neither were true. It was a large shop, with lots of room to walk around. The shelves were stocked with products, and frequently young women would come from the back to the shelves to pick up items for shipment.
I asked where the soaps were made and one of the young women (there were only young women at the shop), said that they were made a couple of blocks away, and every morning more arrived to be stocked on the shelves. The shelves were stocked with every soap they make with large stacks of soap in 5.8 ounce containers, 4.5 ounce refill pucks, and 1 ounce sample pucks. There was also a discount shelf with discontinued items.
My main goal in visiting the shop was to try each scent, to see for myself if I'd like what many of you have lauded as your favorites. I opened one of each type of 5.8 ounce soap container, and sniffed them all. I've found that scents are a very personal thing, and some scents I thought I'd like... I didn't. I tended to prefer the milder scented soaps - Baker Street, Triumph, Duke, Sandpiper, Sharp Dressed Man, Stirling Gentleman, Unscented (beeswax), etc. The danger in my experiment was that I liked far more soaps than I planned to purchase, and had to narrows the list.
At the back was the packing and shipping area, which was quite busy with many boxes being prepared for shipment. I added to their shipment list, sending home most of what I'd bought instead of taking it all with me as shipping was free with a $70 purchase. When received, I noted that free (bath) soap samples were included in my box. In addition to shaving items I bought other soap products as gifts for relatives. Next to the shop was Stirling Roasters (coffee), which was unmanned with displays and appeared to be a work in progress.
If you visit, I'd recommend lunch at the nearby restaurant on the west corner, where they have inexpensive but delicious soups, sandwiches & salads. A few blocks away was the free Logan County Jail Museum, stuffed full of collectibles from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, as well as a large private collection of arrowheads. Near the jail was the scene of the last hanging in Arkansas, where a convicted murderer met his end, with the story of the trial and its evidence located in the museum. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable visit and I would highly recommend it.
Stirling Soap Company's brick & mortar store was not what I expected. I thought I'd see a small shop and be overwhelmed by scents the moment I entered. Neither were true. It was a large shop, with lots of room to walk around. The shelves were stocked with products, and frequently young women would come from the back to the shelves to pick up items for shipment.
I asked where the soaps were made and one of the young women (there were only young women at the shop), said that they were made a couple of blocks away, and every morning more arrived to be stocked on the shelves. The shelves were stocked with every soap they make with large stacks of soap in 5.8 ounce containers, 4.5 ounce refill pucks, and 1 ounce sample pucks. There was also a discount shelf with discontinued items.
My main goal in visiting the shop was to try each scent, to see for myself if I'd like what many of you have lauded as your favorites. I opened one of each type of 5.8 ounce soap container, and sniffed them all. I've found that scents are a very personal thing, and some scents I thought I'd like... I didn't. I tended to prefer the milder scented soaps - Baker Street, Triumph, Duke, Sandpiper, Sharp Dressed Man, Stirling Gentleman, Unscented (beeswax), etc. The danger in my experiment was that I liked far more soaps than I planned to purchase, and had to narrows the list.
At the back was the packing and shipping area, which was quite busy with many boxes being prepared for shipment. I added to their shipment list, sending home most of what I'd bought instead of taking it all with me as shipping was free with a $70 purchase. When received, I noted that free (bath) soap samples were included in my box. In addition to shaving items I bought other soap products as gifts for relatives. Next to the shop was Stirling Roasters (coffee), which was unmanned with displays and appeared to be a work in progress.
If you visit, I'd recommend lunch at the nearby restaurant on the west corner, where they have inexpensive but delicious soups, sandwiches & salads. A few blocks away was the free Logan County Jail Museum, stuffed full of collectibles from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, as well as a large private collection of arrowheads. Near the jail was the scene of the last hanging in Arkansas, where a convicted murderer met his end, with the story of the trial and its evidence located in the museum. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable visit and I would highly recommend it.
