Le Grenier de Zoë thrift store has become a fixture on Lambton Street in Ormstown, with its bright window displays of clothing for kids and adults. When they walked in, shoppers were likely to be greeted either by Zoë Gillies Bourdeau herself, or her husband Eric Bourdeau; but half of that duo will often be found one town over in Huntingdon from now on.
On June 27, Le Grenier d’Eric opened its doors at the shopping centre on Henderson Street, and Huntingdon was ready for it – Bourdeau says there were about ten people standing by the door when they opened it that morning.
The couple says a second store just made sense. “We had debated it for a while,” Bourdeau says, adding that the Ormstown store “couldn’t keep up with the demand.” Gillies Bourdeau says, “We have so much stuff!”
The format for the Huntingdon store will be the same as for Le Grenier de Zoë, with not only clothing, but toys, kitchenware, and home goods. There will be one new offering on Henderson Street, though – a larger space means there will be room for furniture, which will fill a need for buyers and donors. “I feel like the furniture will be a big thing,” Gillies Bourdeau says.
Donations are at the heart of the business, and Gillies Bourdeau says she is so grateful for those who bring items to stock their shelves. “I thank people all the time.” She explains that their system is a bit different from other thrift stores, with donations only being accepted during business hours rather than having a collection bin outside. Bourdeau says that for furniture donations, they will go one step further and ask people to show them a photo of the item before bringing it in so they can be sure it is something for which they have both space and a possible market.
Gillies Bourdeau says they have been “very well welcomed by [the Town of] Huntingdon,” and that they feel they are building on the base of interesting local businesses in the shopping centre, which include l’Ami du Dollar, Sunny Vibes Nutrition, and Tacos Villa, among others. Bourdeau says it’s great to have these “businesses to keep people shopping in town” and supporting local, and their new storefront is just one more reason to “get people over the bridge!”