Campus Shop in Williamsburg’s Merchants Square is spirit central for William & Mary.

July 7, 2025

Colonial Williamsburg’s neighboring retail district, Merchants Square, shares a storied past with the world’s largest living history museum. It’s one of the country’s oldest, if not the first, planned shopping districts.


With 40 shops and restaurants, mostly locally owned, Merchants Square is an idyllic pedestrian retail village, and lifelong resident and proprietor Sam Wallace Jr. is ingrained in its past and future as owner of four shops there. His retail background is a history story in its own right.


People looking for college pride can find William & Mary T-shirts, hats and even ornaments at Campus Shop.
Photos: Elizabeth Collado

Wallace traces his retail lineage back to his grandfather, who played football at the College of William & Mary and settled in town, opening a general store in 1919. This is before town became a hot spot for tourists — and before Colonial Williamsburg was restored.


But everything old is new again, and this is certainly the case with Campus Shop, which opened in 1994 to fill a niche for licensed William & Mary apparel and gear. The only other venue offering the college’s merch is the campus bookstore.


Now, Campus Shop is in its third iteration after a 2024 move to a 3,500-square-foot space twice the size of the previous Merchants Square location. “It allowed us to expand our product lines, offer more designs and styles and make it easier to shop,” says Wallace, who owns College Shop with his brother Cabell and General Manager Steve Haigh at the helm.


“We have the capability of handling more people on busy weekends like homecoming and back-to-school,” adds Wallace, relating that pride of place drives sales and inspires splurge purchases on higher-priced apparel like $120 logoed polos. “People have a real connection to the school and they are looking for nicer products.”



All things alma mater

Apparel is the top-selling category at Campus Shop with about 50 vendors supplying licensed William & Mary designs to the business, including athletic brands like Nike and Under Armour. Offerings range from hoodies and quarter-zips to long-sleeve tees, women’s cut T-shirts, polo shirts and clothing for the younger set — baby, toddler and kids.


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“Most of those are purchased by alumni looking for William & Mary apparel for their children or grandchildren,” Wallace says.


About 85% of the store’s inventory is related to the college, and the rest is souvenirs and keepsakes related to Williamsburg, along with a nod to the region with Simply Southern apparel that Wallace carries across his retail portfolio.


Drinkware like tumblers by Tervis, neckties, logo hats, stickers, license plate frames, pennants, banners, flags, keychains and blankets are easy add-ons that increase bag size and give customers a variety of gift items to purchase.


A plush of the college mascot Griffin goes over big with children and the young at heart, and the shop caters to playful guests with bouncy balls, footballs and frisbees.


Campus Shop also sells practical products including a variety of diploma and graduation picture frames.


Wallace says there are four main customer groups that visit the store: students, alumni and friends, families touring the campus and Williamsburg tourists. “They are all willing and interested in buying William & Mary products,” he says.


Wallace and his staff of 18 enjoy sharing stories about William & Mary and answering guests’ questions. “It’s exciting to tell customers about the college — it’s the second oldest in the country behind Harvard — and to spread the word about its history and Williamsburg,” he says.


“We have lots of customers who have been returning to us since we opened in 1994,” Wallace adds, relating that he overhears remarks about how they appreciate the expanded selection in the larger store.



Charming presentation

In keeping with the distinctive Merchants Square architecture and thoughtful approach to masking mechanicals like air conditioning units with shrubs and electrical wires (buried underground), the Wallaces took a refined approach when renovating the new shop.


Slat wall is modeled after the shop’s brick facade. “We wanted it to have a colonial feel,” Wallace relates. The floor is finished in William & Mary colors — both decor ideas introduced by Cabell Wallace.


To keep these displays well stocked, purchasing is an ongoing endeavor, Wallace says. He attends the Smoky Mountain Gift Show in Gatlinburg; and Haigh, the GM, looks for new products at the annual Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show in Las Vegas.


Maintaining an ever-evolving inventory of apparel styles inspires students and regulars to keep buying. So do the specials Campus Shop offers to customers who join its club and receive a regular e-newsletter announcing seasonal deals and events.


For instance, at press time, the store was offering a BOGO T-shirt deal and frequently runs 20% off promotions for students who show a valid ID. The online shop is a conduit for alumni to purchase William & Mary gear from afar — though the store’s location, alone, fuels business.


After all, “we’re located next to the finest outdoor museum in the country,” Wallace says with the enthusiasm of a Williamsburg native.