We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Pullins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, how does your business help the community?
The thought process behind starting Now and Then Thrift in Page was specifically designed for two reasons. 1. To cut back on the waste and negative impact the clothing industry has on our environment, landfills etc. The average US consumer throws away 81.5lbs of clothes every year. In America alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste ends up in landfills. Many of these items are simply jus no longer wanted, but as fashion has shown us recently more than ever before, everything is in.

The second reason Now and Then Thrift was created is because Page needs more stores of every kind, but especially when Wal- Mart is the only other option FOR clothing and apparel are so necessary in an area that literally is the
hub of the southwest.

The two bonus benefits of starting a business especially in a small town with economic struggles is hopefully being successful enough to create jobs and a workforce and to keep buildings from being vacant in an area that once was vibrant and relevant, but no longer is.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We get a lot of questions about out business so here are some answers to the most frequent questions. 1. Why should I shop at your store? Now and Then Boutique has committed to partner with our local programs and clubs to help financially gap that bridge where there is not enough funding. 2. Why are you more expensive than the other Bargain Center? While we do receive some donations, we primarily buy our own products either handpicked or in curated bulk bales to give our customers only the best re- purposed items, preferably vintage or quality brands. 3. Do you do consignment? Originally, I had plans to be a consignment store, but that turned out to be harder than I thought in a small town. It’s not good business to hurt your potential customers feelings by telling them you can’t offer what they want for their items or that you just can’t re-sell their items. That is probably a lot easier in a larger town.  Ultimately, we pick through it all, so you don’t have to,  giving you the best while also repairing clothing and keeping items out of our landfills.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting for a week, we would definitely hit the lake we grew up on together in one of my surf boats for a day or two of water activities that her kids don’t get to enjoy like we did due to location. I would also take her on one of our customized UTV tours to show her some of the famous areas we are all used to as well as some areas we have found that no one even explored when we were growing up. I would definitely be excited to show her my newest store Now and Then Thrift and Boutique. We could spend all day in there going over what we used to wear, what we would wear now and what we would pick out for each other. As far as dining and night life goes, we would definitely check out two local favorites, Blue Buddha Sushi lounge and State 48 Tavern where we would be sure to run into people we grew up with.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When I first began kicking around the idea of adding another business to my plate the one person that was 100% confident my idea was a good one was my oldest sister who has not lived in Page in over 20 years. When she comes back to visit there is a depressing vibe to see so many childhood stores gone, and in their place vacant and abandoned buildings. I do travel a lot and imitate other things that I have seen in other towns that I love to create a space that doesn’t feel small town.

We do have one other nonprofit thrift store in our area, and they have been so encouraging, helpful and have even down right given me racks and equipment they no longer want or need. That has been very helpful when you are on a very small budget.

Instagram: now_thenthrift

Facebook: Now & Then Thrift and Boutique

Other: Tik Tok – @nowthenthrift

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.