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Owned by Alison Spivey, La Di Da celebrated fifteen years of serving and styling Canton locals and visitors of the square.
Spivey discovered her love for retail shortly after college while working at Kay-Ann’s Hallmark store on the Reservoir.
“I managed the Hallmark store on County Line Road and in Northpark Mall. I loved working there, and my dream was to one day open my own Hallmark store. In 2006, Karen Mosby of Mosby's Gift Shop on the Square in Canton made the decision to retire. I saw the closing sign on the window and knew I wanted a gift shop in that building! My friend, Karie Pace, and I opened La Di Da in June 2006.”
The name for the shop was easily found, and the boutique soon became a family business.
“People ask me all the time how we came up with that name. Honestly, we just wanted a name that was different and catchy! Since then, Karie has changed careers, and La Di Da has become a family-run business. My nieces, Sarah and Ashlyn, work with me, and my daughter, Starr, helps behind the scenes with social media, buying, and much more,” said Spivey.
Many consider the square to be the epicenter of Canton, and Spivey finds great joy in the location of her business.
“The fact that it's home to me and the most beautiful Square in the state of Mississippi is one of the reasons I love the location. We have the most fabulous events hosted by Canton Tourism that draw thousands to the Square several times a year. The merchants on the Square are like family. We work together to help promote one another and bring business downtown. It's very laid back and a safe place to shop,” she said.
Spivey recognizes the importance of having a business downtown, because “many places across America are losing their small-town charm.”
With a fierce passion for her small town, Spivey strives to ensure all of her customers receive that small-town experience when they enter her store.
“We work hard to keep those perks for our customers. We offer personal shopping over the phone or by text and even deliver gifts to local bridal and baby showers or businesses. We want shopping to be easy and personable! At the same time, we keep up with the newer generation of online and social media shopping. Our customers have supported us over the past fifteen years by shopping local first, attending our special events, word of mouth advertising, and sharing our posts on social media,” she said.
With the retail world ever-changing, Spivey has gotten creative in order to bring more customers to her doors.
Recently, La Di Da hosted a flower cart, allowing shoppers to handpick their very own bouquet for Mother’s Day. The flower cart was such a success it was brought back again on a Saturday. “The retail world has changed so much, and we would have never made it fifteen years without the loyal support of our awesome customers,” said Spivey.
After fifteen years spent downtown, La Di Da has brought many smiles and sometimes belly laughs.
“Oh, there are so many funny memories over the years! One that comes to mind was our first Canton Flea Market. Even though I grew up in Canton and had attended many Flea Markets, we had no idea what to expect as merchants. We decided to sell our Southern Belle t-shirts outside that day. We had one table, no tent, and no way to display the shirts, and they were a huge hit. It was crazy and exhausting, to say the least. The next flea market as we prepared, we found a money box full of money in the back of the store from the previous flea market! What a nice surprise and a good laugh! I think of that every flea market,” said Spivey with enthusiasm.
However, with the laughs come some shocking moments, as well.
“And then there was the time we had a big king snake in the store. Luckily, we saw it before a customer did! Oh, the joys of old historic buildings,” said Spivey.
La Di Da is located at 3334 N. Liberty Street. For more information and to shop, visit the store or shopladida.com.
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