Small Business Saturday
BUSINESS $EN$E
How Fashion Cents owner Brittany Allen grew one thrift store into a five-location consignment empire
RACHEL CURRY | FOR LNP | LANCASTERONLINE
Experienced thrift shoppers know the rush that comes with finding a bargain gem — whether it’s clothes, furniture, toys or household goods. On the flip side, consignors relish in getting a good value on their products, helping them make room for something new (and giving others a chance to own their treasure).
In Lancaster County, both of these camps are inevitably familiar with Fashion Cents, a local chain of consignment stores that has been growing since the first location opened up in Strasburg in 2012.
“I never really thought it would grow to what it is now,” says Brittany Allen, owner of Fashion Cents.
Allen was in her early 20s when she opened the first location in her hometown and had just recently learned what a consignment store was. “I was pretty young, and
REBECCA LOGAN FOR LNP | LANCASTERONLINE
Nostalgia is among the carrots many Columbia stores will be using to attract shoppers on Small Business Saturday.
It’s part of the year-round vibe these days in a borough that’s leaned hard into its past to shore up its future. Residents and visitors gather in a renovated train depot as they caffeinate at Coffee & Cream. They pop into multiple antiques purveyors. And they reminisce over throwback candy and trinkets mixed among offer-
I didn’t exactly know what I was getting myself into, but I just learned over the years and figured out how to grow it,” she says. Today, Fashion Cents has five locations: Strasburg, Ephrata, Morgantown, Quarryville and East Earl.
Two of the stores, Morgantown and Quarryville, are situated next to a BB’s Grocery Outlet location. Allen has a good business relationship with the discount grocer, who asked her to open up next to their locations. Seeing they’re both in the
business of bringing deals to the community, the partnership makes sense. In an eBay survey earlier this year, 86% of respondents reported having bought or sold used goods in the year prior. The top reasons for this, the report cites, are cost, sustainability, item availability and uniqueness of the product. Another recent report from online
INSIDE | Get expert tips on consignment shopping, Page 3
ings at Murphy’s Mercantile & Co.
“It’s such a wonderful time to be a part of Columbia with the renaissance that’s happening,” says Daisy Pagan, general manager of the latter. “We’re all just ecstatic that people are looking at Columbia with a new set of eyes, knowing that it really is the epitome of small-town grace.”
Saturday specials
You’ll find various discounts and extended hours scattered throughout town,
including at stores like Kindred Collections.
“It’s almost magical. Small Business (Saturday) is my favorite shopping day,” says co-owner Julie Hess. “People are in great moods the whole time. … They really want to let you know that they appreciate the small business.”
The Merchants Association of Columbia will be handing out cards featuring more than 30 different businesses. Shoppers who get those stamped by at least six enter a drawing for two $250 prizes, says Pagan, who
Merchants optimistic as holiday approaches
REBECCA LOGAN FOR LNP | LANCASTERONLINE
Wes Keates is feeling good about the holidays.
“I’m pretty optimistic this year,” says Keates, co-owner of Foxduck on King Street. “I feel like downtown has a little bit more traffic. There are a lot of fresh faces from out of town that seem to really enjoy the city.”
He expects lots of T-shirts and hats to leave his shop this weekend on Small Business Saturday. For establishments like his — in Lancaster as well as across the county and country — this has become a key day in a weekend that’s often referred to as the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, even though in actuality it’s not. The National Retail Federation found that 45% of holiday consumers planned to start holiday shopping before November this year — with the top reason given for doing so being to spread out their budget.
consignment store ThredUP says the resale sector grew 15 times faster than the broader retail clothing sector in 2023.
“For years and years, thrifting and shopping secondhand was stigmatized and many people thought that secondhand items were dirty or lower quality,” says Amanda McCarty, Lancaster
serves as the association’s vice president. What’s new
The vendor mix is, by design, always evolving at Columbia Market House, which was established in 1869 and went through a $3.5 million renovation and construction project completed in 2021. It’s open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Among the newer faces there are Inna’s Pierogi Shop/GEM’s Catering and King’s Butcher Shop.
23% of consumers plan to make holiday purchases at small business this year, down from 24% in 2023.
NRF’s annual holiday forecast calls for holiday sales of $979.5 billion to $989 billion this year — an increase of 2.5% to 3.5% over 2023. Much of that figure reflects anticipated sales at major chain stores. Small Business Saturday was set up as a marketing tool to help smaller retailers grab a bigger piece of that pie. American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010. The Small Business Administration has co-sponsored it since 2011.
NRF’s holiday consumer survey found that 23% of consumers planned to make holiday purchases at small businesses this year — down from 24% in 2023. The most common answer was online, with 57% of consumers planning holiday purchases there.
Among the least common were thrift stores at 12%. However, the percentage visiting the latter is significantly higher when zooming in on consumers age 18 to 24, NRF’s vice president of industry and consumer insights Katherine Cullen noted during an annual Winter Holiday Consumer Outlook webcast on Oct 30.
“We do know that thrifting and second hand has been a trend that Gen Z has embraced with a lot of fervor,” she said. “And we do see that carry out in the holidays as well, with a little bit more openness from that generation in terms of being interested in both giving and receiving a gift from a second-hand shop or thrift store.” Makes sense to Jesse Speicher, who carries at Space on Walnut Street a mix of vintage and new items for modern and midcentury enthusiasts.
“For whatever reason — and there are probably multiple reasons — we do have a large Gen Z customer base,” he says. Speicher adds he can’t say for sure they’re buying holiday gifts, in part because items like vintage Christmas ornaments and aluminum trees weren’t available to Space shoppers as he spoke earlier this month.
LOGAN GEHMAN | FOR LNP/LANCASTERONLINE PHOTOS
Brittany Allen, owner of Fashion Cents consignment stores, checks a pair of children’s pajamas at the East Earl location.
Racks of clothing await shoppers during the grand opening of the new Fashion Cents location in East Earl earlier this month.
COLUMBIA, page 3
CITY, page 3
President: Stephen Dunn • Chief: Derek Miller
Celebrating 150 years of servicethis year,Adamstown FireCompany No.1was organized April 29,1874. Thefirsthand drawnand motorized pieces of firefighting equipment arerestoredand
Ticket Fundraisers, ChristmasEve Santa VisitEvent
1229 Main St., Akron, PA 19501 717.859.1351 •akronfire.org Thefirstmeeting of TheVolunteer FireCompanyofAkron, washeldatthe west Akron schoolhouse on February 7, 1893.The department’s firstdue coverage area is about twosquaremiles encompassing allofAkron Boroughand
President: R. MatthewReifsnyder Chief: Scott K. Ryno
communities.Theyoperate 1Engine,1Rescue,1Ladder Truck, 2Boats and Squads, 1UTV anda FirePoliceUnit. Annual Events: Bingo every Sundayafternoon and Chicken BBQsinthe Springand Fall
CO NE ST OGA VO LU NT EE R
3290 Main Street, P.O. Box53 Conestoga, PA 17516 •717.584.5649•conestogavfc.com
President: Troy Bresch Chief: Larry Frankford, Jr
TheConestoga Volunteer FireCompany, established in 1944, is locatedin Conestoga Township.Their serviceareaspans about 13 squaremiles, serving roughly 4,000 residents. They have approximately20volunteers who arehighly trained professionals from the communitywho volunteer their time to respond to emergencies. They have severalEMTs, and mostmembers aretrained to the levels of FF Iand FF 11, which arecomprehensive firefightingtrainingprograms. Their team is on call 24/7,year-round, answering about 250 service calls annually. Committed to excellenceand serving with pride.Pride,Tradition, Spirit since1944. AnnualEvents: Spring Dance, Turkey Dinner,Car Show, Ham Supper,Bus Trips, and HolidayDash forCash
6076
PA
•www.epfc23.com
President: Jon Latsha •Chief: Jamie Rohrer Jr
Thehistory of the EastPetersburgVolunteer FireCompany #1 datesback to 1909.The town wasthreatened by afire which had started in aresidencenear the center of town and had it not been forthe heroic efforts of the citizens, much of it mighthavebeen in ashes and alifeoflost. This promptedthe idea of organizing aFireCompany. Meetings were held in the public school house and an organization wasaffected called the East PetersburgFireCompany#1. On January 22, 1910,the Companywas granted acharter by the stateand from thatdatethe businessofthe companywas operated according to the charter.The firecompanyisstill operating as 100% volunteer Annual Events: Food Truck twicea year and annual open house
ElizabethtownFireDepartment
Hand-in-HandFireCompanychoseits unique nameover100 years ago as a description of howits team
5Hershey Ave.,P.O. Box98 Paradise,PA17562 •717.687.7171 •paradisefire.org
President: Barry Yunkin, Jr.• Chief: Neal Hershey
Paradise Leaman PlaceFireCo. was charteredin1907after Paradise FireCo. and Leaman PlaceFireCo. consolodatedand broughtthe first motorized firetruck intoParadise Township.Expanding severaltimesinthe last117 years we now house an Engine,Rescue,2 Rescue Boats, aBrush unit, and 2squads. Annual Events: Beef Dinner,Amish WeddingDinner,Sports Tournament, Pig Roast, Bingo,and HolidayBazaar
3204 Vigilant Street Gordonville,PA17529 •717.768.3869• pvfd40.com
President: Alvin King • Chief: Tony Kauffman
Pequea ValleyFireDepartment wasformed in September 2023 from the consolidation of GordonvilleFireand EMS and theKinzerFireCompany. We provide first due fireservices forparts of Paradise,Leacock,and Salisbury Township,and first due EMSservicestoall of Paradise,Leacock Township, andpartsofEastLampeter and Upper Leacock Township. AnnualEvents: KinzerPork and Sauerkraut Dinner,GordonvilleSpring MudSale, Kinzer MudSale, Gordonville Fall Sale,KinzerBreakfast Buffets, andKinzer Chicken BBQ
StevensRoad
President: JimBlack Chief: Jason Oberholtzer
PA 17578•717.336.4200 •stevensfire.org Established 1914. AnnualEvents: Bingo, Garden tractor pulls, Antique/Classic tractor pulls, trunk-or-treat/hayride, Christmas Program, craftshow,dinners, and more
Establishedin1937,
