Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Buckley.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jim. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 1992, I started an export business for used clothing. I needed a showroom and decided to open it to the public between export sales. As the retail business grew I turned my focus on vintage clothing, opened a few more stores, franchised the business and opened a wholesale division. In the last 5 years, we’ve expanded the Little 5 Points store two times, making it the largest vintage clothing store in the Southeast. We pride ourselves on providing a memorable shopping experience for our customers with a constantly changing selection of great vintage clothing
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been anything but a smooth road. The early years were 7 days a week sometimes from early in the morning to late at night. Learning retail while trying to source the clothing; keeping money coming in to pay for rent and payroll, trying to learn the best way to market a new business.
One Saturday morning the floor collapsed in the middle of the store and left a 20 x 10 hole that was 10 feet deep. We drug the clothing out on the sidewalk then worked all day to fix the problem. It seemed stuff like that happened all the time.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Clothing Warehouse – what should we know?
Since The Clothing Warehouse has been around for 25 years, we’ve developed a reputation that brings with it a responsibility to keep evolving and doing it better every year. One of the things our customers rely on is a really big selection of some of the basics.
For example, we have over 6000 vintage dresses at any given time with new ones coming in every day. We also have 3000 vintage t-shirts, 2000 pairs of vintage cowboy boots. Since every piece is different, it’s necessary to have every size, color and style to make sure every person that walks in the door can leave with something special.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The ability to constantly evolve and the attention to detail. We invest in the look of the store pretty significantly every year. I want our customers to see something different and not get bored. I travel all over the country to find special pieces of vintage to put in the store. It’s not always profitable but it keeps it interesting for the customers, the staff, and me. You have to love the clothes to be in this business
Contact Info:
- Address: 420 Moreland Ave
Atlanta, GA 30307 - Website: theclothingwarehouse.com
- Phone: 404-524-5070
- Email: jb@theclothingwarehouse.com
- Instagram: clothingwarehouse
