The highly anticipated Value Village Boutique finally opened on Granville Street Thursday morning (Nov. 10).
There were over 100 eager shoppers waiting to get in when the doors opened at 9 a.m. according to district manager Brenda Beecroft.
The store, which has taken over the old Urban Barn space at 2354 Granville St., is split across two floors and carries a curated range of mens' and womens' clothing and accessories plus vintage books and artwork.
The boutique has fewer categories of items than other Value Village locations because it's a smaller space. Most Value Villages require loading bays and warehouse-like square footage to accommodate all of the receiving and sorting that takes place.
Beecroft says that the boutique model is a way for Value Villlage to introduce thrifting into denser urban spaces and the much of the clothing comes from a centralized warehouse that then gets farmed out to VV boutiques in other neighbourhoods.
She also oversees the warehouse and, after 15 years in the thrifting industry, has come to understand what neighbourhoods like certain styles or goods, be it athleisure or, in the case of the new South Granville location, higher-end name brands.
The location is also partnered with Big Brothers and Sisters of Canada and Beecroft says that the stock was all purchased through the organization.
There's a mix of vintage, designer, and high-street clothing brand names in the Granville Street store that cover a wide range of price points. Shoppers looking for deals will find them - a Victoria Secret two-piece set is selling for $18.99 as opposed to the $80+ it retails for - but the prices are definitely higher than at other thrift stores.
If you visit, don't forget to bring a reusable bag (or, like one die-hard shopper, a suitcase) because Value Village doesn't provide plastic ones.
