How Brenda and Robert Anderson’s 45-year marriage shapes their business venture, Tapley’s Mercantile and Antiques.
Written by Mary Cornetta
Photography by Tiffany Bradley
On any given Friday, you might find Brenda and Robert Anderson doing what they’ve come to cherish most at this stage in life: slipping out for a lunch date, like a cozy meal at The Black Rabbit or soaking in the views at The Wyld Dock Bar.
It’s a small ritual but one that speaks volumes about the couple behind Tapley’s Mercantile and Antiques. After 45 years of marriage and six years into their first business together, Brenda and Robert have built something that extends far beyond the walls of their store on the corner of Waters Avenue and East Montgomery Cross Road. Tapley’s is, in many ways, a reflection of their life together: joyful, welcoming, and personal.
Lifelong locals (Brenda growing up in Windsor Forest, Robert in Bacon Park), the two first met as students at Savannah Christian Preparatory School. Their roots in the community run deep, and so does their shared history. Long before Tapley’s, there was Andy’s IGA, which operated from 1972 to 1995 in the very building Tapley’s now occupies. It was run by Robert and his father, Robert “Andy” Anderson.
“I used to come here all the time while we were dating, just to talk,” Brenda says with a wink.
She went on to the hospitality industry, eventually opening a U.K. cottage rental company with a business partner. Robert and his father continued in the grocery business by purchasing two Smith Brothers stores, beginning in the ’90s. They then opened Habersham Antiques, one of Savannah’s early antique mall concepts. Robert asked Brenda to manage it during one busy holiday season, and although she was hesitant at first, she continued to do so until the business was sold in 2018. “I was interested in antiques because my mother always was, but I wasn’t necessarily knowledgeable about them,” she says. “But I learned so much by working with the dealers while managing the store.”
Their departure from Habersham Antiques came at a time when the couple needed a break for personal reasons, including foot surgery for Brenda. But the pause didn’t last. “I was laid up after surgery and thinking, ‘What if we did this again?’” she recalls.
Back then, the former grocery store space sat empty and was difficult to lease due to its size. “In all honesty, we were having a hard time renting this space,” Robert says, noting that while it’s roughly a 12,500-square-foot building, the parking lot had been made drastically smaller during a widening of the cross streets.
For Brenda, the pull was both practical and emotional. “For one, I thought it would be good for the shopping center,” she says. “And two, I just really wanted to do it again. I wanted to take the chance.”
After roughly six months of renovations and countless conversations with dealers, Tapley’s opened in February 2020, mere weeks before the world shut down. The couple’s first business venture together quickly became a lesson in resilience. During the shutdown, they pivoted to Instagram sales — taking calls, jotting down credit card numbers, and placing purchases outside for pickup while waving to customers through the window.
It worked, in large part, because of something they both have always prioritized: relationships. “People have many places to spend their money, but once we have created a relationship, we hope they choose us,” says Brenda. “We have the best customers! People come in and tell you their story, then you become part of their story.”
With more than 70 vendors, Tapley’s offers a curated mix of antiques and new home decor, but it’s never overwhelming. “We’re purposeful,” says Brenda. “Nothing is random. There is thought in everything.”
The store itself mirrors the Andersons’ home in Isle of Hope, where they’ve lived for nearly four decades.
It’s a space Brenda describes as “eclectic and happy,” filled with vintage pieces, contemporary art, and an overall atmosphere that invites you to sit down, stay awhile, and put your feet up. “The best compliment we can ever get is when someone says, ‘You make me feel so welcomed,’” she says.
A shared love of entertaining, plus a sweet homage to the building’s grocery store past, led to the creation of a mercantile section at Tapley’s. On your right as you enter, shelves are stocked with Southern staples and small-batch goods, from Marsh Hen Mill grits to Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn and Sweet Kaki’s pies (which customers loved so much, the Andersons bought a freezer just to carry them). There’s also a line of Tapley’s seasonings and a pair of signature candles — Nora and Otis — named after Robert’s maternal grandparents, the Tapleys.
Over the past six years, Tapley’s has become not just a shopping destination for both locals and tourists alike, but also part of a close-knit, growing antiques community. Having been located near the old Picker Joe’s Antique Mall and Vintage Market building when they owned Habersham Antiques, they were thrilled to learn that the new Picker Joe’s location would be just down the road from Tapley’s.
“We love to send people to them, and they love to send people to us,” Brenda says. “The more, the merrier.”
Inside the store, that same kinship mindset shapes their vendor selection. “I don’t care if they make me a lot of money,” Brenda says. “I just want to be around good people.” It’s a philosophy she’s leaned into even more in recent years. “I told Robert when I turned 65, I’m not going to spend time with anyone who’s not nice,” she says. “I don’t have to do that anymore!”
The couple often work side by side, each playing to their strengths. “I know what his strong suits are, and he knows what mine are,” Brenda says. She is the energy on the floor, connecting with customers and helping them find pieces that feel like home. Robert, more methodical, handles the behind-the-scenes details but just as easily steps out front to chat or to help move a piece of furniture.
Their rhythm has been hard-earned over decades of marriage. Some days, they’re so busy they barely speak. Other days, they’re there for each other in quieter ways. “If one of us has a bad day, the other listens,” Brenda says. “By now, we’ve worked out the kinks.”
That steady partnership is what makes Tapley’s feel the way it does. It’s not just a store filled with unique and beautiful things; it’s a place where people come to browse, to talk, and to destress. A purchase is secondary to the experience.
“Success isn’t just a dollar amount,” Brenda says. “It’s what takes place day to day in the shop, and if we make someone feel comfortable, then we have done our job.”
Looking ahead, the Andersons are exploring new ways to grow, including live online sales and in-store events like their upcoming “Dog Days of Summer” pop-up shop, which will raise funds for the Humane Society. But their focus remains the same: creating a space where people feel at home.
