Pop Love-It, a skateboard shop no bigger than a university classroom, is owned and operated entirely by its founder, Josh Loveland.
Loveland dropped out of Auburn University in 2009 and used money originally intended for college tuition toward capital for the shop.
"I saw people skating these interesting, long skateboards that went really fast downhill," Loveland said. "When I saw longboards, it was tempting and I got hooked on it really fast. I met a lot of people who shared sympathies of not having a skateboard shop," Loveland said.
The name, Pop Love-It, is a play on words integrating the "pop-shove it" skateboard trick and the owner's last name.
Pop Love-It, unlike other mainstream skate shops, does not sell skate clothes or shoes.
However, Loveland commented he might add shoes to his inventory in the future.
"My business plan was to carry as little overhead as possible and to carry the stuff that people wanted to see," Loveland said. "I provide people with hard goods."
Although the store is small and located out of sight from Gay Street, he has a monopoly on the skating market.
"It was an untapped market," he said. "There were one or two skate shops before, but they were lost in history. Theoretically, it was a monopoly. I don't plan on dominating the world or anything. It's the world's smallest monopoly."
Loveland attributes his success to the loyalty of his customers.
"I was blessed with the way it all panned out," he said. "As soon as I opened the door, people came in. The locals were really supportive. I drained all of my initial capital within a month, but the business flowed on its own on the get-go. It pays its own bills, pays my bills and floats on its own."
Loveland offers discounts for purchases made by first-time skaters. The store continually has new boards coming in and welcomes skaters to suggest any new boards or equipment they want to see in the store.
"They're specialized," said Cory Spicer, sophomore in human development and family studies. "The guy who runs it actually knows how to run it. I 've bought a longboard and wheels, and he knew exactly what to get. I f skaters want a particular item and he doesn't have it, then he'll get it in for you."
Other plans for the store include expanding the store's inventory to provide roller skates for the Auburn University roller derby team, expanding to a bigger building and petitioning to create a skate park.
"It's cool being the only guy who runs it," Loveland said. "I get to meet everyone who comes in. Everyone who comes in is a friend of mine. It's cool to see people grow an interest in skateboarding. People who had never been on a board come back and share how they've improved."
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