Feel over the moon at one of Tucson’s newest curated lifestyle shops

Tucson’s newest curated goods shop is every boho lover’s dream.

Pink Moon Mercantile, located in Main Gate Square off the University of Arizona, is filled with handmade candles, macramé, disco balls, fun gifts and, more importantly, good vibes.

If that doesn’t sell you, almost every item inside the shop is soft pink or in another neutral, muted tone.

“My goal is to just kind of bring sunshine and happiness to people,” said Jessie Senese, the owner of Pink Moon Mercantile. “I really wanted it to be a place where people can be seen and heard. And people come into the store all the time and they sometimes come in just because they feel so good when they're in there. It's almost like a hug to the universe. I just want it to make people happy and to have a place for people to go and find things that make them happy.”

It’s impossible to not feel happy in the shop with the aroma of a scented candle filling the air, indie pop (or ‘70s singer-songwriter music) playing in the background and fun gifts surrounding you. The shop has something for everyone, including self-care items for you, cute gifts for your friends and even a lil something for your pet.

While not everything in the shop is locally-made, Pink Moon Mercantile carries a selection from local creators, along with small-batch, eco-friendly and handmade items from various global vendors.

Senese spends her time sourcing items for the shop by attending gift shows in New York City, Atlanta and Las Vegas, and by keeping up-to-date with the latest trends on social media. Sourcing and curating the items for Pink Moon Mercantile feels a bit like “treasure hunting,” she said.

“I’m just always looking for new things that I haven't seen before,” she said. “We work with a lot of smaller batch vendors, not necessarily handmade (items), but small-batch items from smaller makers. … We have some local artists that we work with. But it's really all over the place (with) a little bit of everything.”

Senese carefully handpicks all of the items to make sure they match Pink Moon Mercantile’s aesthetics, which she described as “eclectic, boho, colorful, curated and global.”

One of Senese’s favorite items in the entire shop are the vintage Moroccan kilim poufs. These vintage poufs are handcrafted by Berber women who use vintage Moroccan carpets to create a one-of-a-kind product, perfect for a boho living room or outdoor area.

Even the shop name has a boho feel to it. The name Pink Moon Mercantile was inspired by the acoustic guitar-based music from 1970s singer Nick Drake —specifically, his song “Pink Moon.”

But regardless of what the shop could have been named or what items it could have carried, Senese knew she was destined to open up a brick-and-mortar.

It’s in her DNA, after all. 

All in the family 💗

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Senese grew up in a family of shop owners in her home state of Minnesota. Her mom, MaryAnne, owned several shops, like one for prom dresses and special occasions, at the Mall of America.

The shops were a family affair where everyone helped out, including Senese and her brother.

“So it's kind of like the whole family was involved in her stores in one way or another,” she said. “And I owned an online children's lifestyle store called Shop Sweet Lulu for 11 years.”

Although Senese currently resides in Chicago, the rest of her family moved down to Tucson several years ago. 

Originally, Senese wanted to open a boho lifestyle shop in Chicago, but couldn’t seem to find a space that felt like the right fit.

“My sister-in-law, who had been in Tucson, kept saying, ‘Just do it here, I'll help you run it, we can do it together,’” she said. “And my mom was there, so it just kind of seemed like all of these things came together. I was spending a lot of time in Tucson (visiting family) and I thought, ‘I mean, I love it there, this makes sense.’”

So, that’s exactly what Senese did. She searched for the perfect spot in Tucson and eventually found it in the beginning of 2022. The shop is located at 845 N. Park Ave. in Main Gate Square.

“I just loved that on their map they highlighted women-owned businesses and local businesses,” Senese said. “So we reached out to them and they had one spot available. I flew out to see it and it was just perfect — the lighting, the whole vibe — and it used to be an Aveda store, which is like an homage to Minnesota. So it just seemed like things lined up really well for us to be there.”

Pink Moon Mercantile officially opened on Sept. 9, 2022, after about a nine-month delay due to permitting issues. 

Despite the delay, Senese made the best of it by sourcing plenty of items during the nine-month span to ensure a shop full of items by opening day.

Now that the shop is up and running, you can find Senese’s daughter, Olivia, managing the storefront, in true family tradition. Senese takes anywhere between one to three trips a month to Tucson to check on the store.

“I'm very hands-on. It's really hard for me to not be there all the time,” she said. “I love the store. I love the products. I love all of it. So it's hard for me to not be there. And it's so fun and happy and pretty there. So I want to be there.”

Since the store is still relatively new, Senese is focused on spreading the word about the shop and doing everything in her power to help it reach its full potential, online and in-person.

“One of my favorite things about being there is hearing people's reactions,” she said. “They just love it. It makes them feel so happy. People have said they want to live there. It's been overwhelmingly positive. It just gives me goosebumps, too, because it's so much hard work that goes into it.” 

Pink Moon Mercantile is located at 845 N. Park Ave. in Main Gate Square. Hours are currently 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, check out their website.