A new gently used children’s clothing store has opened in downtown Orillia.
Coach House Kids opened its doors for the first time earlier this week at 31 Mississaga St. W.
Store owner Lora Connor, 41, moved to Orillia from Toronto about a year ago with the dream of opening her own business.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” she said. “In Toronto, there are a bajillion second-hand kids' clothing stores but there wasn’t a single one here.”
Connor, who is married to an Orillia native, is a mother to a three- and six-year-old. She says she has always shopped second-hand for her children.
“They are tough on clothes,” she said. “Buying secondhand is more affordable, it’s better for the environment, and it’s less stressful than putting your children in expensive clothing just for them to spill spaghetti sauce on it.”
Connor has already received great feedback from the community on her store.
“I’ve just heard over and over how needed this was here,” she said. “Everyone wants to sell their clothes and shop secondhand because everyone is feeling the pinch right now.”
Connor started her business a year ago online with the goal of opening a retail store. Business was slow for the online version of the store, but Connor is confident with the in-store shopping experience she plans to develop.
“I think people really like to get their hands on secondhand things before they buy them,” she said. “People like to inspect the item before they purchase.”
Connor says lots of people on social media have reached out to her to offer support.
“In the last couple of weeks momentum has really picked up,” she said. “I’ve had so many people messaging me saying they are really excited about this.”
While Coach House Kids is not a charity, Connor encourages parents to come into the store with their children’s gently used clothing before throwing the items away.
“I’ll go through the clothing, and I’ll make you an offer,” Connor explained. “People like to get a little bit back for what they’ve spent on their kids' clothing.”
Before opening her own business, Connor worked in digital advertising.
“I’ve never run a business before or dealt with any of the stuff I’m dealing with now,” she said. “I did a program with the Small Business Centre of Barrie, which has been really helpful.”
With community support, Connor is confident that her business will be a success.
“The Downtown Orillia Management Board has been really great, the (city's) economic development department has been great, and there is so much support for people looking to open a business here,” Connor said. “I was really surprised.”
