Next, we learn about another business powering our area.

But first, quick trivia question for you.

How many neighborhoods make up the city of Charlotte?

According to the city's planning division, there are 199.

Each is remarkable in its own way.

"Carolina Impact's" Jason Terzis joins us, with the story of one of Charlotte's more unique businesses in one of its most established neighborhoods.

- Well, just like the city of Charlotte itself, the Cotswold neighborhood gets its name from England.

The area is close to uptown, and has population of just under about 5,000 residents or so.

For years, it was known for the Cotswold Mall, which opened in 1963, and had stores like Ernie's Record Bar, Roses, the Deb Shop, Dell Town, Toy Castle, Ivy's, and the Collins Company, you may remember.

The mall is long gone, since replaced by Cotswold Village Shops.

But just across Randolph and Sharon Amity sits the Cotswold Marketplace Retail and Design Center, which is leaving a lasting legacy all its own.

(screen whooshing) (upbeat music) - This here is Laura Dienna.

She also works for another vendor of ours, on the other side of the building.

- [Jason] It's something you don't see all that often these days.

It's not a singular business, but dozens of businesses all under one roof.

- Each one of the vendors here is their own small business.

- This is a designer, Addaroc Hill, her name's Lisa Matthews.

And what makes her different is that she's like a lifestyle.

- [Jason] Store Manager Whitney Norton leads us on a tour of the Cotswold Marketplace Retail and Design Center, a 10,000 square foot showcase, chockfull of home decor, gifts and inspiration.

- We all describe it a little bit differently.

I always like to say it's a home furnishing store with gifts.

Other people describe it differently.

We really are interior design driven.

- [Jason] The marketplace was named one of Southern Living's "30 Best Home Decor Stores in the South."

And because it features roughly 80 small businesses, it has a little bit of everything for everyone, from furniture, sofas, lamps, paintings, jewelry, hats, pottery, baby clothes, rugs, you name it.

There's even a freezer section with pies, and grab-and-go meals.

- So it's not one person having to buy everything for that store.

So 80 people are sharing the burden of the purchasing to what was displayed, so there's a little bit of everything.

- We just want it to be a happy place for the customers to wander around.

- [Jason] The marketplace launched 15 years ago by the mother-daughter combo of Melissa Vandiver and Kate Leary.

- I'm not surprised that she wanted it, it's just in her blood, she can't resist it.

- Retail has been in my blood forever.

- [Jason] Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Melissa's been around retail her entire life.

- My mom opened a lady's clothing boutique in the early 1950s.

And back then, women really didn't jump in to open their own businesses, but she did, and she was very successful.

She had that business for about 35 years.

Then my sister, who was still in Little Rock, opened a gift store.

- She had just everything you could possibly imagine and she worked all the time.

- [Jason] Coming to Charlotte in the early 80s, Melissa was ready to put those life skills to use.

- And I got the itch, and I wanted to open my own little store, which I had for a few years, called Favorite Things.

And then I stepped away from that with children.

- [Jason] Once her kids were grown, Melissa was ready to get back into retail, recruiting daughter Kate to go in it with her.

- I was in a job that I could have stayed in, but I didn't really like that much, and was really interested in design.

So it just kind of came together that well, should we try it?

- [Jason] And try it, they did.

Coming on the heels of the recession, Melissa and Kate took a chance, opening the Marketplace in 2010.

- And when we started, it was with Marilyn Monroe coffee mugs and Elvis on velvet.

I'll have people say to me at this point, well, they get real businesslike and serious and they say, "Well what was your business plan?"

"Make a mortgage payment."

That was my business plan.

- Tom and Anne came here from Syracuse, New York.

And this whole space, this used to be two separate spaces.

We lifted the ceiling up for them so that they could get their racks in here.

- [Jason] Any business that's still open after a decade and a half must be doing something right.

And for the Marketplace, that means variety, and keeping things fresh.

- We make an effort to try to make it different.

Move walls, move people around, so that it looks different when you come.

- The vendors, yes, they are spectacular.

Each one of them has their own stake in making it work.

It's their business.

- It's just a continuity.

We know the history and we know the people and the customers know us when they come in.

- [Jason] The family dynamic of Melissa and Kate extends to staff as well, with most employees working at the Marketplace for years, including sisters, Whitney and Erin.

- I wouldn't wanna leave, I don't wanna leave.

I like it here.

It's my favorite job I've ever had, ever.

- [Jason] With that family vibe in place, and continuity among staff, the only real challenge these days at the Marketplace is simply keeping up with current marketing trends.

- When you think about where we were 15 years ago, how did you reach your market?

Well, you had ads, you had print, you had mailers.

All of those things were the mainstay, they were the foundations.

That's changed a bit.

It's Instagram, it's Facebook, it's webpage, and with this crazy thing called algorithms.

Oh my goodness!

What makes this pop up on Instagram?

This go away and we're trying so hard to keep up with it.

- [Jason] And there's a good chance the family vibe at Cotswold Marketplace will continue into another generation.

Certainly appears heading in that direction.

- It's really cool to know that I always have a place to work.

I definitely think that I'll work here one day.

- The children of the people who work here are starting to be here to help during our May sale, and stuff that they can do.

So, it's coming.

- Such a cute story, Jason, but I'm ashamed to say I've never been there.

- And before I did a previous story back in the spring, I had never been in there before either, and I drive through Cotswold every day on my way to and from work and I didn't know it was there.

Now I do.

Hopefully more people will.

Told my wife about it.

I'm like, "Hey, Mother's Day, other different holidays, great place to go pick up some gifts."

- I appreciate the good idea.

Thanks so much, Jason.