Former Flight Attendant Realizes Childhood Dream By Opening Moncton Thrift Store
MONCTON – A former flight attendant says “the stars aligned” when the loss of her former job eventually led her to open her boutique thrift store.
Janelle Watling, founder and owner of The Good Eye Thrift Shop, said it had been her lifelong dream to own a thrift shop in her hometown, having grown up shopping at former vintage clothing store Etcetera.
“It was a place where you could go and let your freak flag fly – that was my inspiration,” she said.
For the last decade, Watling worked as a flight attendant, living in cities like Toronto and Vancouver and always hitting up the local second-hand shops.
“My ultimate dream was to open something like this up in my hometown. I ended up moving home when Covid happened,” she said.
Watling went on employment insurance and eventually got the funding to open The Good Eye with the CBDC-funded Self-Employment Benefit.
Watling said it was serendipitous because, before the pandemic, she would have been unlikely to leave her former job.
“Being here and having that opportunity, while on EI, as weird as that sounds, really worked out for me,” she said.
Looking For A Name
Watling, who originally sold clothing online before Covid, came up with the idea to go brick-and-mortar but was stuck for a name.
“I was having a discussion with my partner about it, and we were talking about what it is and he said people would pay for my good eye for fashion,” recalled Watling.
“I was like, ‘hold the boat,’ because I was born blind in one eye, so my whole life I’ve had one good eye and one bad eye. I was like, ‘that’s it, that’s the name,’ and it solidified everything. I came up with the logo right away. It’s like an identity, and every time I get to tell that story I get goosebumps.”
Inclusive Space
Watling told Huddle she has been running the inclusive, curated space at her 730-square-foot store, catering to the fashion tastes of men and women, since August.
She noted The Good Eye is a size-inclusive business, with opportunities for appointments and private shopping.
While acknowledging that the pandemic is a risky time to be opening a retail location, Watling said she’s grateful for her landlord – a fellow small business owner and her neighbour – and the busy location for her store.
“I have nine windows along one of the biggest streets in Moncton and it hasn’t been crazy for rent – so I was fortunate.”
The Good Eye features art and clothing created by local makers, along with a gamut of second-hand clothing – as well as kombucha on tap. She and a single part-time employee run the shop.
“It’s a bit out of the ordinary, but that’s what I want to focus on – interesting pieces,” Watling said the fashion available at The Good Eye.
“I don’t focus on retro or vintage, I just really focus on a style that’s more unique and funky – and kind of out there.”
Watling said that because of the variety of styles and price points, pretty much each of the five to fifteen customers who visit per day leave having made a purchase.
“I’m focusing on building a community. Not getting rid of fast fashion, but being mindful of purchase and mindful of how we spend our money,” she said.
“So, it’s a really good time for that because I think people are becoming a little more aware, so it’s fitting nicely into this climate right now.”
Sam Macdonald is a Huddle reporter in Moncton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].