Mary and Joshua Larson first went into business over a decade ago in 2013 after growing weary of everyday plastic waste. Originally named Full Circle Supply, Mary and Joshua renamed the business to Larson’s General when they moved to their new location at 509B Main Street in 2020.
“I always wanted to be downtown, that was like the ‘it’ place for me,” said Mary Larson.
Prior to opening the business, Mary Larson had attended Western Technical College and had been working at a marketing job. When starting out, she worked with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to create a business and financial plan. She also took an entrepreneurial startup class through Couleecap.
Larson’s General offers a wide variety of daily use products, such as soaps, shampoos, salves and more. Their Driftless Skincare and Mary’s Apothecary products are made in-store, and their new olive oil line, Ceremony Goods, is also produced in-house.
“We carefully vet every single brand that we carry to make sure that their standards align with ours,” said Larson. “[Mayana] Chocolate’s my personal favorite product, and…those are made in Spooner, Wisconsin…I use everything [sold in store].”
Local business and sustainability are key components of Larson’s General’s business model. They partner with local businesses as much as possible for products they don’t make themselves, and all of their liquid products such as dish soap and shampoo can be refilled and purchased in bulk. All someone has to do is bring in a container and fill it up with what they want.
“I think there’s always a spot for local, and it seems like we have people that are in high school, all the way up to a really old lady who refills her shampoo in a little glass spice jar,” said Larson. “[It] does seem like there are more young folks [who] are looking to purchase products that are more sustainable.”
Larson noted that this attitude wasn’t always the case, especially when the store first opened. “The biggest hurdle was getting people to understand what we were doing and what our mission was. That was a big educational piece,” she said.
The COVID-19 pandemic was also a challenge for the store.
“We were considered an essential business, so we were able to stay open, but it was still just essentially no business for extended periods of time, which was extremely difficult,” said Larson. “I think now…it seems like more people are getting back to the sense of community and wanting to experience shopping and dining in person again.”
“Local seems to be more of a word that people care about,” she said.
Larson’s General strives to be a home for all people, including students in the local college community. One way they do this is by offering a 10% discount to students and staff of educational institutions. Customers are also able to bring in containers of any size for refills, so if they only want to try a small amount of something, they aren’t stuck with a product they don’t enjoy.
“We are a place for everyone. We want people to feel safe and welcome here,” said Larson. “That’s another reason why we exist is…our support of all people, and I think that makes people want to come here.
Larson’s General is located at 509B Main Street in downtown La Crosse. They are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday. You can follow them on Instagram and Facebook, and visit them at their website.
