The peddlars were people who went door to door selling their goods. Some travelled by wagon and others went on foot. The peddlars who travelled on foot were called pack peddlars.

People who would have ordered goods would have included storekeepers, dressmakers and seamstresses, and people who needed items not usually sold in a regular store. Most of the goods were grown on the farms, came from other parts of PEI, from other parts of Canada or the US, or came from overseas. Goods that were brought in locally would have been farm goods, vegetables, fruit, breads, grains, baskets, hats, and baked goods. Some of the goods that would have been shipped in included tea, spices, china, glass, silk, and other things that weren't made or grown on Prince Edward Island.

The General Store had a lot of household goods and farm tools that you could buy. What most people went there for were the household goods, like flour, salt, sugar, spices, and so on. They also bought fabric for clothing, some articles of clothing, shoes, dishes, and dolls. The most costly items were probably the farming tools. The most interesting items sold would probably have been the bear gloves because you wouldn’t see them at a store today. Wools, flannel, silks, and other fabrics were sold to make dresses and other clothing, and popular medical remedies (that didn’t always work) could also be bought there.

The general store was a really popular place to go. It was used by regular people who lived close by. You could get some of your food and household goods there, and pay cash or barter goods. You could also get your mail and (sometimes) have your dresses fitted there. A lot of people went to the store to talk and get caught up on the latest news. People could spend most of their days in the general store because the storekeeper always had a fire going, and the visitors would have a bench or two to sit on and maybe drink their morning coffee or tea.