Dec. 17—TUPELO — Brenda Shumpert could easily retire at age 72 and not worry about having to run a business.

But after 36 years of successfully owning and operating Bishop's Flower Shop in Tupelo, why stop now?

"Oh, no, I'm not going to retire," she said with a smile. "I'm going to be right here."

Bishop's got its start on a kitchen table in 1972, with Roswell and Mae Bishop at the helm of the East Tupelo venture. Brenda and Bill Shumpert purchased the business in 1986, and after moving to the current location at 1001 E. Main Street nine years ago, Brenda Shumpert said, "it feels like home."

"We can walk to Johnnie's Drive-In, and we can walk to Palmer's and go wherever we need," she said.

While Bishop's is primarily a flower shop, it also sells gifts like handmade candles and soaps, pottery and even food items.

Shumpert is in her element inside her store, floating about to greet and help customers and to lend a hand to any employee. She's witty and charismatic, and is likely as iconic as the store itself.

"I don't feel like I work," she said. "But I probably physically work as hard as anybody in this town. And you know how they say if you love what you do, then you don't work a day in your life? That's how I feel."

To Shumpert, opening the shop every day isn't a job, but a passion. Her enthusiasm hasn't waned over the years.

However, it may get tested during extremely busy times. Mother's Day is bustling. Christmas, too.

But neither compares to Valentine's Day.

"Valentine's Day is the roughest because it's so compressed," Shumpert said. "Mother's Day, we have about a week. For Christmas, it's a month-long thing. People start buying early, like getting poinsettia to somebody and then it continues through Christmas. It's a lot easier."

According to Shumpert, the store will sell at least 6,000 roses on Valentine's Day on top of whatever other flowers and gifts customers pick up that day.

Quick turnaround

Bishop's prides itself on the quality and freshness of its flowers and the competitive prices that are attached.

The flowers come from South America, and then are flown to Miami. Bishop's has brokers there who then send the flowers via truck.

"It's such a small world," Shumpert said. "When the farmer cuts those flowers and puts them in a box, they come from there in South America, to Miami and then my man in the back of our store is the next man to touch those flowers."

And the process all happens quickly. Shumpert typically orders flowers on Thursday, and by Monday, the trucks are waiting to be unloaded at the store.

"It's never more than three or four days," she said. "There's no other middleman, no one else who touches the flower other than us, which means the flowers last longer."

What's in a name? Plenty.

At the ribbon cutting held earlier this month with the Community Development Foundation to mark Bishop's 50th anniversary, Shumpert was asked why she never changed the name of the business. She's had the store longer than the namesake owners, but she isn't going to change.

"My sister, when we were talking about the 50 years, said if we'd known we were going to be here this long, we might have changed the name," she said. "But the Bishop name is synonymous with flowers."

Jody's Flowers was named after Jody Bishop, who grew up working in his parents' flower shop, SunnyCros. Harold Bishop and Peggy Bishop, who opened Magnolia Wholesale Florist in 1989. That business is now owned by their son, Brock.

"We really never seriously thought about changing the name because it's so iconic," Shumpert said.

IT'S LIKE A FAMILY

Working with her friends is what Shumpert does every day she's in the shop. They're more like family, and she said there's only one rule: "We don't miss anything with family."

That means if somebody needs to leave early to see a soccer game or to watch a loved one in a play, somebody will fill the role.

"Somebody's got your back — go; there are other people here," Shumpert said. "But you're going to have to have somebody's back down the road. It really is like a family around here."

Bishop's didn't slow down during the pandemic. Even with the lockdowns and other measures, the flower shop was as busy with orders as any other time. Florists were deemed essential businesses, often connected to another essential business — funeral homes.

"When we got to open the doors again, we were selling flowers out of boxes because it was so busy," she said. "We just never stopped running."

With Bishop's longtime presence, it's commonplace to see generations of customers walk through the shop's doors. The little girl who got a balloon at the shop later returned for her prom, her marriage, her child.

"Then there are the grandchildren, the funerals ... you become immersed in their lives," Shumpert said.

Customers like Michelle Maxwell wouldn't have it any other way.

"We went to church together all our lives, and we spent many nights over at their house," she said, completing a purchase at the store on Thursday.

"It's just family oriented and everybody is so friendly and nice," said Tiffany Lindsey. "You always find what you need."

With 50 years under its wing, there's the next 50 years to consider. And Shumpert — along with her loyal customers — plan to be there for as many of them as they can.

dennis.seid@djournal.com