Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Bostian.
Hi Emily, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2024, our daughter was getting ready to start kindergarten. Friends had begun to ask me when I was going back to work. (“Back to paid work,” I would admonish them, with a smile.) The problem? I have a chronic illness called POTS, whose symptoms include blurry vision, chronic pain, and sensitivity to light, sound, smells, and temperature. I doubted that I’d ever find a job that could give me the accomodations I needed. In my experience, the world is not set up for people with sensory sensitivity or chronic illness. I needed a quiet, fragrance free place with good lighting. I needed to be able to both move around and sit down. I needed to be able to eat lunch and snacks when I needed then, not when it was convenient for the business.
I learned that my favorite consignment shop, Hoot-n-Annie, was closing a secondary location in Progress Ridge Townsquare due to rising rent costs. I called my husband and told him I had a crazy idea. “Go for it!” he said. We took a 2-year lease assignment for the space. Under the mentorship of Hoot-n-Annie’s Owner, Tina Donnaloia, I opened Jolliffe’s three months later.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Progress Ridge Townsquare was beautiful, but rising rent and operational costs drove us out of that location at the end of the lease as well. My husband and I looked at the Profit & Loss statements. They were not good. But we weren’t ready to give up yet.
I toured commercial units all around Beaverton, and even considered converting the business to a mobile boutique, before I found our current location in Farmington Village.
Everybody has too much stuff and not enough money; the supply of secondhand clothing will always exceed the demand.
The operational costs of running a brick-and-mortar store may drive us to another pivot. The challenges of motherhood plus chronic illness plus small business ownership are real.
And yet, I’m cautiously optimistic about this location. It’s five minutes from my house, so it’s easier for my neighbors to drop by. The Meyer Sign Company brought my original Jolliffe’s sign and installed in here, so people can see our name in lights while getting groceries, buying plants, picking up dinner, getting their nails done, or waiting for the light to change on 185th.
The future is uncertain, but more and more people are realizing value of buying secondhand for their wallet, their community, and this planet.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Jolliffe’s is not a thrift shop, nor is it a designer boutique. We specialize in quality-but-not-designer clothes, shoes and accessories that work for real life. Our aesthetic skews more timeless than trendy. We pay attention to the current styles, but are not ruled by them. We are a Consignment Shop for All Ages, and we carry clothing ranging from newborn onesies to plus size dresses, as well as a smaller amount of menswear. We also carry an ever-changing assortment of products from local Makers, ranging from jewelry to pottery to handmade matchboxes.
Consignment means that people bring in items for us to sell. After we choose which items to accept for consignment, we price each one, steam it, and display it on our sales floor for 60 days. If it sells within 60 days, we pay 40% of the sold price to the consignor. (That’s the person who brought the item in.) We work hard to communicate the process ahead of time so consignors understand what to expect. Our inventory system, SimpleConsign, has a feature that allows consignors to log in to see when their items sell, what price they sell for, and how much time they have left to sell. This allows consignors to track their inventory, and it holds us accountable for every one of our 1,689 items.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Oh, so many people contributed to making this a success! My original team, who turned an empty 1600 sq. foot unit into a shop: Deborah Honthaner, Patrick Bostian, and Grace Leeds. My mother, Sally Adkins, for giving me the seed money to start the business. My husband, Kiril Simov, for figuring out the thorny tech problems. Owners of other shops have given me advice at critical ventures: Tamara Young of Consign Couture, Blaine Peters of Tiny Brambles, Meghan Anderson French of The Vault, Hazzel Svvengar of Forager Vintage. Alicia Bermes and the Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce for their support. My coach, Kristine Cecchetti Homovich, for encouraging me to take risks and follow my joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jolliffesshop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jolliffesshop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558191774921
Image Credits
Alacrity Photography (personal photo)
Emily Bostian (additional photos)
