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The life-size cutout of President-elect Barack Obama has loomed from its tabletop perch at the front of African American Art as merchandise featuring his name and face flies off the store's shelves.

There's plenty to choose from with puzzles, Beanie Babies, afghan throws, yard signs, buttons, stickers, calendars, baseball hats and playing cards for sale, all honoring the nation's soon-to-be 44th president.

"All year long there's been a strong demand," said Jackie White, managing partner for the store, which is tucked in a corner on the second floor of Four Seasons Town Centre.

"People want things with Obama on it."

White started stocking Obama gear in February when she got the sense that the politician was gaining traction with voters. She also registered at the Web site www.obamastuff08.com, where she sells Obama items online. She's taken orders from across the U.S. and as far away as Japan.

"I said, 'I believe we have something here. This is going to be history,' " White remembered. "We turned our store into an Obama store."

Obama fans of all colors soon learned the store was a resource for them. "We're had more white people come in the store this year than any other," White said.

And as the campaign progressed, so did business. "Come August, it started going crazy," White said, the same month Obama became the first African American presidential candidate from a major party.

The store, which has been in the mall for almost 20 years, focuses on items that reflect African American culture, art and history. When the store opened, it concentrated on African American art, a niche growing in popularity as "The Cosby Show" and other programming showed art featuring minorities.

Over time, the store has diversified to carry other items, such as figurines, books, oils, incense and fraternity and sorority paraphernalia.

"People wanted black angels, a black version of The Last Supper," White said. "Black people wanted to see images represented in their homes that looked like them."

Over the course of the 2008 presidential campaign, the store also functioned as a voter registration outlet.

Workers helped register 400 to 500 voters - Democrats, Republicans and independents alike, White said. "The store is a community store where people could learn about the process."

Once the registration period was over, the store became a news source for customers, she added, giving out nonpartisan printed materials on the campaign.

And after Obama's victory, it became a place to come for souvenirs of the country's vote. The day after the election, White had customers waiting outside the gate an hour before the store opened.

They wanted to own a piece of history.

"The T-shirts have been blowing out of the water," White said. And she's sold out of the Obama bobbleheads.

But don't worry. They'll be back in stock by January's inauguration.

Winstead Commons to mark its grand opening

Merchants in Winstead Commons, one of Greensboro's newest retail centers, are celebrating their grand opening with food, music and discounts.

The three-day event will kick off Friday and feature live music with Lisa Dames from 4 to 7 p.m. Events will continue through the weekend and door prizes will be available.

Merchants in Winstead Commons, at 2920 Martinsville Road, include Arthur's Fine Shoes, Jack Cecil, Wild Birds Unlimited and Materials of Design.

The newest store, coffee house Port City Java, will open Wednesday.

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Do you have a retail news or shopping tips for Savvy Shopper? Contact Lanita Withers at 373-7071 or e-mail lanita.withers@news-record.com