I cannot say enough amazing things about this store and its owner. From the moment you walk in, you…read morefeel welcomed, appreciated, and genuinely cared for. The owner is truly one of the kindest people I have ever met -- warm, patient, and so incredibly thoughtful. You can tell this isn't just a business; it's something built with love and integrity. Every interaction feels personal, and they go above and beyond to make sure you leave happy. In a world where customer service can sometimes feel rushed or impersonal, this place is a breath of fresh air. What touched me the most was a beautiful moment with my daughter. She did a good deed for her, and instead of wanting anything in return, she simply told my daughter to pass it on and return the favor to someone else one day. I just thought that was such an incredible lesson -- teaching kindness, generosity, and paying it forward. That meant more to me than she'll ever know.

Ok! So who doesn't love a little toy shop/candy shop in a historic downtown area?!…read more There's just something above and beyond special about a store like this vs going to one of those god awful box stores or taking business to...Amazon! My brother and I were recently in Manchester, VT and while walking around downtown, we stopped in here. Just the outside of the building makes you wanna go in. Then you get in there and it's legit like you're a kid again. The layout is amazing. Upstairs and downstairs to this place. Downstairs is the candy and probably the nicest lady EVERRR to work in a retail store. Really wish I had gotten her name. I swear if more stores had people like her, I think more people would go back to stores vs shopping online. She's above and beyond pleasant, friendly, funny, so accommodating, just an absolute delight of a person. This place kinda feel like something you'd see in a movie. Maybe a movie from "yesteryear" (I hate that word lol, but it kinda applies here haha) It's just so homey! She made it even homier AND she let me bring in my little yorkie, my little Alfred and she was so nice to him as well. Seriously, what happened to retail? We all know this generation and their...LOVE of working with the public haha! Like I said, if more stores had friendly people like this woman, (I'm gonna assume that maybe she owns the store?) we'd all be in stores more. Ok, so the store haha! Candy downstairs, tons of stuff upstairs. Toys, hoodies, shirts, etc. The shirts and stuff are touristy items. Manchester and Vermont on the fronts. Some super nice. Priced a little higher than some places, but seriously not bad at all. Besides, if I had gotten something like that, I'd 100% buy from a store like hers vs a bigger store. Also, who buys touristy type clothes from like...Walmart or Target?! Ugh! It just isn't the same vs getting it at a TRUE store to whatever town or city you're visiting. Downstairs she had a plate of cookies out for the customers. Of course, I grabbed a few haha. Alfie (my dog) and I were very thankful haha! She also said "make sure to grab some cookies on the counter back there!" I was like "one step ahead of you, girl! Already grabbed some" hahaha! No matter how much I watch my diet, if there are cookies....ima have some lol. The inside is like a really homey house. Even the outside looks that way...so maybe it was a home at one time? Fantastic store! Truly is! Kids and us *big* kids all love this place. How can you not? On our way out, (she might remember this lol) she said "think fast" and tossed a free piece of gum to me...I had my dog in my arms so I'm using him as an excuse as to why I didn't catch it hahaha! She then tossed one to my brother and he missed too hahahaha! To be fair, there were like 6 people all eyes on us. The pressure was real lol. Embarrassing we couldn't catch a piece of gum...BUT for me, one handed! Hahaha! One customer said "I would have dropped it too with all those eyes on me" So there's another excuse for us GUYS not catching a little piece of gum haha! I look forward to the day I go back to Vermont. I've gone the past 2 years. So hopefully we will make it there again next year. If we do! Manchester for sure and without a doubt....another visit to this amazing little store with so much character...from the employees to the store itself. I hands down recommend anyone and everyone go here and support her anyway you can. These stores need to be cherished. Thanks for reading, YelperCottagers! Cheers!

Vermont, Weston: Vermont is filled with many Country Stores or General Stores, but this family run…read morelocation is historic in that it opened in 1946 and recognized as the country's first restored rural general store. While the store has expanded and been renovated over time, you can find jars of penny candy or nostalgic beauty items (lip smackers circa 1970/1980s) or other Vermont home wares, foods, clothing, etc. Maple syrup, Vermont cheese, mustards, pickled items, candy, chocolate, cookies etc. A fun stop.

This is a throw back to early days of general stores. Still a family owned business that is a…read moretourist attraction for the area. If you happen to be in the area, it is worth a stop - to be able to say you did. I would not recommend going out of your way - this is not a destination. Most things are priced pretty high. There is a sale corner, if you are looking for a value item. There are a number of unique items. Toys, food (deli), candy, and functional home remedies and tools. Chachkies, knick-knacks, and souvenirs. Staff is friendly, and check out is quaint.

Northshire Bookstore is a bookworm's paradise! There's…read moresomething for everyone - fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, romance, biography, cooking, banned books - you name it, they've got it! They have a section of used books for a lower price along with a cafe. They even sell records. There's a full section of greeting cards, stationary, planners, notebooks etc. Plus a small section with Vermont touristy/souvenirs. What's not to love?! I left buying 4 books for myself and one as a gift.

This is the best bookstore I have ever visited! You are literally immersed inside a world of books…read more There are multiple floors fully stocked with every book you can imagine. They also have a cafe. I did not get a chance to visit it since I was happily overwhelmed by all the books. The third floor has the children's section which has colorful decorations, as well as cards, trinkets, journals, and vinyls for sale. Northshire has friendly employees who were very helpful. I am pleased to report they have a large used book section on the second floor. I will definitely be visiting this charming place more often!

A great shop full of unique pieces! Eclectic mix of antiques and cool repurposed lights, signs,…read moreand industrial objects. Highly recommend stopping in!

We stumbled into this cool place while walking around Manchester today. They seemed to have a…read morereally extensive amount of items. The reason I'm giving them 2 stars? The person working there obviously didn't want to help us. We never got a hello or goodbye. I was there with my 15 year old son who asked about a better price on something. The guy barely looked up from his laptop to answer my son & tell him no. It would seem in today's economy; a sale is a sale even if it was just $20. Awkward -- you actually remember us from TWO years ago when you barely made eye contact with us ?!! In terms of not being welcome at your shop -- no worries.

Their maple creemees are sooooo delicious! Cold, creamy, and the perfect maple flavor!! The cider…read moredonuts are also delicious. If you want a taste of both, you can order the "cider sammich", which is the homemade hot cider donut sliced in half and filled with and topped with the maple creemee!! Plus, they offer gluten free cones, no extra charge, and their prices are very reasonable!! They even offer a baby cone, but I guarantee if you get one of these, you'll go back in for a second! We make sure to visit for a maple creemee every fall! It's also a little gift shop with maple syrup and other fun things to look at or buy! So much fun!

Time for another review. The creemees are a bit larger than last year it seems, and the prices are…read morestill super-reasonable. No surprises at the Sugar Shack, a delightful trip through rural NY and South-Western Vermont, albeit 40 plus miles one way for us. Been there perhaps a dozen times since 2024, still have found nothing that would make me even think about a rating less than 5 stars. I am a picky, demanding, relatively hard to please customer. I believe that the key to running a business is consistency. Run whatever kind of business you want to run but be consistent. The customer has a right to know what to expect next time, after his first visit . Any business can hit it just right and deliver a world class experience once; the key to a steady 5 star rating is to deliver that time and time again. Sugar Shack does exactly that. Their creemees are, quite simply put, perfect. First time, third time, eighth time, twelfth time. Never varying in intense maple flavor that tastes just like syrup right out of the jug. Never poor consistency. Always, always, thick and creamy and substantial. I did notice one difference late last summer; the size of the large cones increased a bit with no corresponding price increase. Prices for the creemees are super reasonable. Five of us went there the other day and the bill was pennies over $20. Two larges, 3 smalls. For a premium quality cone filled with plenty of ice cream, being sold in a touristy area, that is phenomenal. Don't like ice cream? What the heck is wrong with you???? :) Nevertheless, their apple cider donuts, especially the cinnamon coated version, are really good. Always fresh, and much less greasy than the genre is known for. Not heartburn, no disgusting grease soaked bag on the way home, just plain great flavor and freshness. Time for a bit of a ramble. These people, and their business, are real. The two young ladies that run the store are charming and efficient. They are nice to customers because they are nice people, not because there is a tip jar on the counter. I have been on enough cruises and eaten in enough restaurants in my 76 years to have developed a pretty accurate sense of someone being phony because they are in a tipped position, and being blunt, this ain't that. It would seem that the key to the Sugar Shack for me is the realness, the staff, the creemees. Somehow though there is more. They have a wonderful tree shaded side yard with old fashioned picnic tables. Those tables outside, so unassuming, so very not fancy, so utterly 'country', just fit perfectly with the trees and the overall rural ambiance. Going there is relaxing and brings me back to being a much much younger version of myself. Born and raised in NYC, at 14 the family moved to a town in Upstate NY with a population of 1200. Sugar Shack brings back memories of little roadside ice cream places and snack bars and a slower, more peaceful, just plain better time. The owner and her staff (relatives if I understand correctly) are providing a lot more than ice cream and maple syrup and assorted delicious premium treats and foodstuffs. They are bringing us back in time to when business was interactions between people, not transactions with a multi-national corporation. Well done, ladies, well done.

With my new men's pajama pants purchase they compare well to LLBean. Bean has been selling out a…read morelot lately. Vermont Country store was my alternative choice. I'm very happy with my purchase. Young men wear flannel pajama bottoms as street wear. I could do that because they're so warm.

Total waste of time. Tourist trap that doesn't even try to hide it - which I guess is a good thing…read more I only stopped in here because I saw it on the side of the road when going somewhere else, and shops in Vermont all close long before sunset, leaving me no chance to check out some maple syrup and other local goods. Super expensive. Not because it's quality, but because they choose to be. The entire shop wreaks of "We're prestigious..because we say so." Half the store is 'as seen on TV' level merchandise. Nothing cool, local, or heritage. Couldn't even get some gummies on my way out. Bag was like fifteen bucks for something generic. Keep on driving. Location: 3* Convenience: 2* Service: 1* Product/quality: 1 * Aesthetics: 1*

I'm a little late in posting this review and sorry I didn't do it sooner. After multiple visits to…read moreManchester my husband and I decided to have our wedding there a few years ago and honor our Scottish ancestry in our big day. Robert was amazing in helping us find just the right custom tartan and making all the kilts for the groom and groomsmen. He also outfitted the group with all the right accessories to make them all completely authentic and even went as far as to invite them to his shop to help them get ready the day of to make sure all was perfect! Julie baked the most amazing shortbread for our guests' welcome packages and they even connected us with some pretty talented musicians in the area that played at the wedding. We can't thank them enough for all their many efforts behind the scenes to make our day truly memorable and spectacular!

If you want some high-end woolens and authentic English and Scottish food, this is the place to goread more

Perfect general store!! Love everything about this place! They have really good food & lots of…read morecool Vermont products.

My wife found this place as we were headed for the Vermont Country Store. You walk in and you felt…read moreas if you were back in time from the 50's. Great little general store. Great, great coffee. I had the dark roast, black no sugar. It was one of the best coffee I ever had. Purchased some bread and two plain donuts. Sat outside on the rocking chairs and enjoyed my coffee and donuts. We'll be coming back there again. Lover the place!