Today I was in a part of town I never have before.
I saw a store JUST for badminton.
I came across a very narrow, 5 story store in Japan, a bit off the beaten path in Akihabara, selling exclusively N scale model trains. They had a floor or two dedicated just to the models, another one for scenery, and at least one just for repair parts for your trains. It was really cool to get to see a store that was pretty clearly a passion project for the owner(s) apparently doing well, and filling quite the niche in the hobby (I imagine)
In Turkey we have shops that only sell pickles!
I could be into that. A good pickle is something to behold.
There used to be a store in my town called “Just Socks” that sold, just socks
If there’s still one around somewhere, should open up a competitor across the street that deals only in cheap counterfeits of the brands they sell and call it Unjust Socks.
there’s a store in seattle called The Purple Store that only sells purple stuff!!!
I had to go to a store that only sells custom made stirrups as my kid needed some for their horse. I was absolutely overwhelmed about how many differences there are about them. Kid was happy.
It’s very recently closed its doors, sadly, but you’d be hard pressed to find a more specific shop than long-time Edinburgh landmark, Borland’s:

Cycling clothing. No bikes, no helmets, just more lycra than a gimp convention.
I used to live across the street from a ballbearing shop.
Must take some balls to open one of them.
Batteries + Bulbs.
They sold nothing but batteries and lightbulbs.
I went there once because I needed a specific type of light bulb. But it wasn’t in their inventory. So I don’t even think of that place anymore when I need bulbs. Anyway they’re rather small stores. How could they possibly stock all the millions of varieties of those two specific things? Spoiler: they don’t.
I never went in for bulbs, but they certainly had a wide range of batteries. They were more reliable than Walmart or other places when I would need a random button style battery, like a CMOS or watch battery.
I don’t know about yours but I had a very similar store near me years ago, which was exclusively batteries but then eventually expanded into bulbs as well.
It’s not super specific, and makes sense for where I saw it, but I’ll never forget the Wisconsin tourist trap I drove past as a kid that has a big sign out front advertising “Cameras, Cheese and Guns”.
I have seen lots of niche stores, but what usually gets me is that they’re in very premium locations. How is that empty Custom Umbrella Emporium still open while the packed coffee shop next door can’t afford their lease?
Tap for spoiler
Money laundering, probably
Tennis rackets and Kites
I have been in a shop only for set equipment for cooking book pictures
Me too. In Japan.
I have not, myself, been there, but San Francisco has the Pirate Supply Store.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/826_Valencia
826 Valencia is a non-profit organization in the Mission District of San Francisco, California, United States, dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
826 Valencia runs San Francisco’s “only independent pirate supply store”. The store is the front entrance of the tutoring center and has the look and feel of an authentic pirate shop.[5] It sells pirate clothing, eyepatches, compasses, spyglasses, pirate dice, skull flags, and secret treasures. It features handmade signs, scattered around the store, offering tongue-in-cheek wisdom, such as “Uses for Lard” (#5: “Lard Fights”) and “Guidelines for New Shipmates” (#4: “No forgetting to swab”). Unsuspecting visitors are sometimes treated to surprise “moppings.”
Shoppers can also find back issues of McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, books published by McSweeney’s, and literary compilations written by 826 Valencia students. The books of student writing published by 826 Valencia include forewords, illustrations and interviews from public figures such as Former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom and actor Robin Williams.
The Pirate Supply Store was originally created through necessity. After being turned down for regular use of church basements and school facilities, the founders discovered an empty store on Valencia Street. City ordinances required businesses in that area of the city to be either retail or catering, so the Pirate Supply Store was opened in 2002 as the “legitimate” business front for the writing center. It also helps fund the tutoring program.[6]
We had a store that sold only pirate costumes here. For real.
Mixed tape store. This was like 12 years ago, long after streaming was a thing. A buddy of mine went in and asked if they sold CDs and the guy legit said, “No. Just mixed tapes.” Pretty sure it was a front for something.










