Story and photos by Matthew Wilson

Jennifer and Doug White sit in the office portion of their recently opened thrift store, Jennifer's Home Décor

At first your eyes can’t focus. There is stuff everywhere, from huge couches in the heart of the room to tiny table ornaments cleverly scattered all over. In no time what initially looks like mass clutter begins to become organized in your mind as you find yourself magnetized to a particular item—something that you have been looking for all over and finally found. This is the beauty of a thrift store; it’s where hidden gems can be found, and where a search could be ended by one simple discovery. One family believed that if they could obtain enough of these elusive items they could start their own business out of it, and they did.

Starting A Business

Starting a business is a bit of a risk, but a risk Doug White and his wife Jennifer were willing to take when they opened Jennifer’s Home Décor in downtown Plattsburgh, N.Y., in the summer of 2011. The two Plattsburgh residents have an interesting story to tell behind their new thrift store.

Doug is from Colts country in Indiana, and he would travel throughout the United States as a constructor for new Wal-Mart outlets. In 1993, Doug was part of the crew that did the land work for the Wal-Mart in Plattsburgh. Although land work is what he came to do, it was not all he left with on this trip to Plattsburgh—he would also meet his future wife, Jennifer.

Doug eventually returned to Indiana, but only for a year before returning to Plattsburgh. “I came back up here to do the family thing. We had a son here and she [Jennifer] was from here,” Doug says. This is actually Doug’s second business, as he is the owner of Dawco Maintenance and Repair company, but he felt a second business was an avenue worth exploring.

“I would go home and she would have moved everything in the house or painted a wall.”

After seeing his wife’s knack for decorating, he proposed the store to her.  “Basically, it was an idea for her," Doug says. She likes decorating. I would go home and she would have moved everything in the house or painted a wall.” Doug felt his wife would like the idea and excel in the shop. He also believed that the demographic of Plattsburgh would provide an excellent market for the store to thrive.

“I was very excited when he told me about it," Jennifer says. "I knew I could make it mine and successful. It definitely fits my personality well; I like helping people, I love to clean, and I like to decorate, so pretty much it was my perfect job."

The couple gets their used items to sell from the many state sales and travel auctions they attend throughout the year.

Doug’s simple suggestion to his wife quickly evolved, and within two months, the store was opened. Doug explains that the process was made easy because he paid for everything himself without taking out any business loans, which would have prolonged the store’s opening.

Jennifer was admittedly apprehensive of opening the store, even though it had a personal appeal to her. “At first, I felt it was too risky," she says. "I didn’t think anyone was going to come. I didn’t know how we were going to afford the rent here and if we were going to go broke because of it, but I trusted him, and so far we haven’t."

Even though Jennifer is the face of the store, Doug still plays an active part in its day-to-day running. “It might not look like it, but I know some stuff about antiques and art,“ he says.

The store also sells more practical things: couches, rugs, chairs, and much more can all be found there. It is this practicality that has led Doug to think that the store will be profitable. “People need furniture. They are always going to need furniture no matter what the economy is. If I can sell a good product at a decent price, mathematically, you should be safe,” Doug adds.

Doug also pointed out that the success of the business so far has persuaded other people to open up their own thrift shops. “Two other antique shops have opened since we opened,” Doug says.

He wife concurs. “We are doing much better than we expected, and people obviously saw our potential and the market potential, so they followed suit,” Jennifer says.

“The store is cute with a lot of stuff that is cheap and hard to find. I am glad I managed to stumble upon this store, and I will be surely coming back again.”

The Vision

Jennifer White says that the idea for the store came from her love of antiques and interior design.

The couple gets their used items to sell from the many state sales and travel auctions they attend throughout the year. On average, they attend one at least one a week to try to get some good deals. Sometimes, when people are moving, they would attempt to buy as many goods at they can. “We don’t take anything from off the street," Doug says. "This is not a pawn shop. Not one piece in there was from part of a rummage sale. The White’s are not opposed to buying items from people, but they prefer to be contacted so they can arrange a visit to the item. “If we bought from people inside the store, that would encourage others to come, and pretty soon we would see people bringing things that I would never want to buy,” he says.

Both Jennifer and Doug are determined to make the store successful, but they are not stopping here. Doug speaks of other ideas that he is not ready to reveal just yet. The locals in Plattsburgh have so far appreciated their current idea, as local browser Jessica Peppe reveals. “The store is cute with a lot of stuff that is cheap and hard to find." she says. "I am glad I managed to stumble upon this store, and I will be surely coming back again.”

If you could start your own buisness, what would it be and why?
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