Sometimes a change in location is as good as a holiday and that is exactly what F as in Frank has done.
The Canadian-owned vintage clothing store has relocated from the business park to downtown Squamish, making it the fourth thrift store along Cleveland Avenue.
Store manager Marissa O'Sullivan told The Squamish Chief that the change in location was to help meet the growing demand of shoppers, as well as to make it more accessible to get to.
“One of the owners, Drew Heifetz, had already been trying to get an actual store location in Squamish, just so it wasn't a warehouse and store together,” O’Sullivan said.
“Especially with the popularity and how many more people were shopping at F as in Frank, he was like, ‘We need a store, an actual storefront.’”
Despite being tucked away in the business park, she said the store had become more popular thanks to youth shoppers.
“More people were coming by and saying that they've heard of us and with the big sales that we do, like the fill-a-bag sale, that was super popular,” she said.
“We also had the biggest selection of Christmas sweaters in town, so everyone was coming to us [over that season] and I feel like that helped us become a bit more well-known in Squamish.
“But really, it feels like the young people really are like the main people who [thrift] shop.”
The new location
The store opened at its new location behind Empire of Dirt on April 5, replacing Hearth & Mantle Giftery, which closed earlier this year.
“April 5 was our official opening and the first day not having the warehouse be a store and it was popping. There were so many people, I don't think I've seen that amount when it wasn't a big sale,” O’Sullivan said.
“It was a constant rotation of people, so we can tell that the location already is just so much more convenient. People actually come downtown, and they normally walk the whole Cleveland strip anyway, so now they can just add this to the list of places to go.”
But they aren’t getting rid of their old location, instead using it solely as a warehouse for stock.
“The warehouse is just for processing clothes. That's where everything will come in and get washed and sorted,” she said.
Foot traffic
While some businesses feel like the foot traffic along Cleveland Ave has dropped, for F as in Frank, they’ve never had more off-the-street walk-ins.
“With our old location being in the industrial area near Backcountry Brewing and the gym, you're only going to get so many people [walking by], and most of the time ... it's out of their way, especially for young people,” O’Sullivan said.
“But our thought is that way more tourists come downtown, and as soon as the farmers market opens, there's that constant stream of people every Saturday. You don't get that foot traffic down there, half the time, people couldn't even find us.
“People actually come downtown, and they normally walk the whole Cleveland strip anyway, so now they can just add this to the list of places to go.”
Pricing
While the prices may be a little higher than your average second-hand store, O’Sullivan said it is to support their messaging behind reducing the amount of clothing going into the landfill.
“With the pricing, it's really trying to show people that it's not just about spending and spending. We want to put that value behind that item that you're going to buy,” she said.
“The last thing we want is for the clothes that we sell to end up in a landfill, because that's exactly what we're trying to make not happen.”
But for Squamish locals and those who live in the Sea to Sky corridor, there’s a 25% discount applied to every sale.
New stock is added every Tuesday.
The new location can be found at 38066 Cleveland Ave., at the back of Empire of Dirt. Opening hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through to Sunday, with Saturday opening until 6 p.m.
Visit F as in Frank’s website for more information and to shop their online stock.
