As I explained in this post a couple of weeks ago, we recently bought the old Alco store in our town. It closed down last year and we are using it as a warehouse for the Mercantile, as well as a shipping center for the Merc’s online store.
It was Marlboro Man’s idea! It’s all Marlboro Man’s fault!
But man…it’s turned out to be great. It turns out that we never would have had enough storage space in the Merc for all the goods we have coming, and we never would have been able to build a warehouse for the price we got Alco for.
That Marlboro Man causes the best kind of trouble.
Over the weekend, the shelves for the warehouse went in. We bought a bunch of used warehouse shelving, and it doesn’t all match…but life is too short to match!
We had a small army of helpers, including Hayden and Marshall, who are friends of Alex’s and are home from college this summer.
College kids are great! They’re full of energy and are happy to have summer jobs, and as long as they get a constant supply of cookies, they’ll do whatever tasks you give them.
It’s fun to think about where this shelving has come from. I did see some liquor labels here and there, which makes me feel dangerous and edgy.
Or not.
Here’s a video of the shelves all coming together! It was super speedy. Ha.
[instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BGRiadJORb_/?taken-by=pwmercantile]
Happy Monday, friends! I’ll post more Merc updates this week.
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
