The Valley Thrift Store, a space for savings and sustainability
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
VALLEY — The Valley Thrift Store provides budget options for locals, helping community members find stylish items at a great price.
After retiring, Valley Thrift Store Owner and Operator Michelle Welcher said she found herself with extra time and decided to begin exploring local thrift stores.
“I was going to a lot of thrift stores kind of with the idea of finding pieces that I could fix up and use as home decor,” she said. “What I found was that I was buying more project pieces than I was actually finishing, and my whole house was beginning to look like a thrift store. I had begun to think that I really didn’t want to do it to make money, but my husband is a minimalist, and I am not, so I was trying to think of a way that I could continue to do this as a hobby and not overwhelm my home. And so I thought, ‘Well, maybe I should just look into renting a booth and just trying to get rid of it that way.’ And my husband suggested that I contact the owner of this thrift store and see if he might be interested in selling — and he was.”
Welcher said The Valley Thrift Store has grown since she purchased it in March of 2023, and through donations from the community, she is able to keep fresh stock for shoppers.
“We’ve grown in so many ways,” she said. “When I first took over the store, we had one little corner of the store that was processing everything that came through the door, and now we have expanded into four different processing areas. I just attribute that to how much the community has really supported this business. We are abundantly blessed with donations. Sometimes it feels a little overwhelming, but the more donations we receive, the more we’re able to offer better prices to the customers — because we have to move things faster to make room for the next wave. When I took the business over, there was one full-time employee and two part-time employees, and now I have five full-time employees in addition to myself.”
For local shoppers, Welcher said, The Valley Thrift Store provides a space for savings and sustainability.
“There’s no doubt that the savings are huge,” she said. “Having worked through the clothing donation area, we get so many nice things, and if you’re on a budget, or not on a budget, it just doesn’t make sense to go and pay retail for something brand new when you can come to the thrift store and get it for between two and six dollars a piece. It’s just a huge way to save money for your family, and there are so many name-brand clothing items and shoes that come through this building — it’s just huge savings. So, whether you need the break or not, you would really be doing your pocketbook a favor if you shop secondhand.
“It’s something you really become aware of when you’re processing donations — the abundance that this community has. So buying secondhand, you’re really helping to keep things out of the landfill, and whether you’re using it to wear or you’re going to give that piece of fabric a new life in a craft project — it’s definitely huge for the environment to shop secondhand.”
As she continues to provide a space for locals to donate clothing items and find affordable clothing and decor, Welcher said she has enjoyed getting to know the people in her community.
“I think one of my favorite things about having the opportunity to own this business is getting to meet every person in the community and learn a little something about them, their families and their stories,” she said. “We know so many of our customers by name and have the opportunity to pray for individuals who are going through hard times. It’s just really an honor to be a part of people’s lives, and it’s a blessing.”
For more information, visit The Valley Thrift Store on Facebook.
