A NEW store in Rhyl selling vintage clothes has enjoyed a hugely successful first few months of business since opening in Rhyl in the summer.
“Flaunt It Vintage”, at 36-38 Bodfor Street, welcomed shoppers for the first time on July 28, having previously been run as an online business by owner Mark Chesterton since April 2021.
Selling vintage and sustainable fashion for adults, which could include clothing from as early as the 1950s or the 60s right up to the modern day, business has been booming for Mark since July.
He said: “Flaunt It Vintage started in April 2021, selling clothes on Depop, and things quickly progressed from there.
“I quickly got a website up and running to help with our online presence, but there were never really any plans on opening a shop in the early days.
“However, after running out of room to hold stock at home, I decided that it could be worth opening a shop locally on a short-term trial - and we are really glad that we did it.
“The unit we are in came about just at the right time and at the right price.”
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Mark, originally from Rhyl, is enjoying his first taste of running his own shop, and is able to draw on his and his wife’s few years of experience of the retail industry, too.
Though he primarily runs the shop himself, he likes to consider “Flaunt It Vintage” a family business.
He added: “The shop opened without any fanfare, and we started making sales before we even officially opened, with people asking if they could have a browse after they were walking by.
“Just a few months later, we have many regulars who tend to come in at least once a week, because they know that our stock is always changing with new items going on our rails almost every day.
“The feedback that we get from our regular and new customers, both local and from outside of the area, is always positive."
Items at “Flaunt It Vintage” include skirts, dresses, jumpers and jeans, but Mark considers his best-sellers to be band t-shirts and sportswear, which includes US sports.
Some of the store’s stock also includes high-end brands, with new items constantly arriving.
Mark, who also DJs at the “We Rhyl Rock You” nights at The Cove on the first Friday of every month, added: “Considering we have done very little advertising, the shop is exceeding our expectations.
“That’s helped by the fact that people are realising that buying sustainable fashion helps the environment and, of course, a lot of it is starting to come back in fashion.
“With new stock regularly arriving, it can be difficult to keep everything updated - we also offer a click and collect service through our website which a few locals have now started to use.
“If I had a pound for every time someone had said: ‘It's about time someone opened a shop like this in the area’, I would be able to pay a year's rent up front!”
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