Zoë Gillies says that thrifting runs in her veins.
Reputed to be the go-to person for area parents looking to save on baby and toddler clothes, Gillies first launched her second-hand clothing store, Le Grenier de Zoë, online in 2011. She then opened a popular storefront on Lambton Street in Ormstown in 2013 but was forced to close when prolonged reconstruction of the Centennaire Bridge significantly reduced traffic on the main street in 2015.
Now, ten years later, history is repeating itself. Gillies resurrected her online store this past February, and the response has been so positive that she will be opening a new storefront location at 8 Church Street on October 15. “I just love my job so much,” she says. “When I started again in February, I didn’t realize how much I had missed it.”
Much has changed in her life since she made her first foray into the second-hand clothing business. Now a mother of three, Gillies is quick to acknowledge that the push to open a new store was partially driven by a need for more space. “It is just going so well that I need to get out of my house,” she explains, noting the piles of clothing, much of which is sorted and ready for pick-up by customers, have taken over the family’s living space. “I have a bin outside of our house, and it is always full of donations,”
Gillies says, acknowledging that she is very grateful for the community support.
What hasn’t changed for Gillies are the ecological values and motivation behind both her physical and online store. “I just love giving a second chance to all of these clothes,” she explains, noting that from an environmental perspective, buying second-hand is a significant way to contribute to helping fight climate change by rejecting “fast fashion” (especially when it comes to baby and toddler clothes).
Gillies has long had a policy that if something is not selling in her store, she donates it to another business or organization. In the past she has donated to the Ormstown Soccer League and to I am Heshima. If an item is not sellable, she is known for converting garments into rags and dropping these off at local garages.
Gillies says she is also branching out, and her store now offers high-quality second-hand clothing for older children, teens and adults, as well as books and toys. “People need to see that second-hand stuff can be as nice as new clothes,” she insists.
The grand opening of the Grenier de Zoë will take place on October 15; however, Gillies says the online boutique will remain open for clients who prefer to shop this way.