While Newbury Street is known for drawing in large crowds on weekends, a line of shoppers took over the sidewalk as they waited for Vivant Vintage’s new location to officially open March 1.
Justin Pomerleau, owner and CEO of Vivant Vintage, opened the business’s flagship store in Lower Allston in 2014. Opening a location on Newbury Street has always been a dream of his.
Pomerleau said opening a new store has been in the works for the last year and a half. When the owner of Johnny Cupcakes, which previously occupied 332 Newbury St., reached out to Pomerleau with the opportunity to take over their Newbury lease, Pomerleau seized the opportunity.
“We’ve seen great growth year over year throughout our career, and we felt like we were at the point where if not now I don’t think we’d make the jump,” he said. “We’re ready now.”
The decision to open a second store was a difficult one to make following the “hardest six months” of his family’s life leading up to the opening.
“I think everyone thought we were crazy,” he said.
Between him and his wife, who co-owns Vivant, the couple divided and conquered to make the opening happen.
Pomerleau said Vivant financed the construction and renovation inside their new location without the help of any investors in just 28 days.
“We did it very bootstrapped, from the ground up,” he said.
The addition of a second location will give shoppers access to a greater amount of inventory than what they currently display at the Allston location, and will bring their business to the next level, Pomerleau said.
“I think it legitimizes us even more,” he said. “It says something on its own without us having to prove anything.”
The Newbury location is an “aesthetic” departure from the Allston store with its 1920s movie theater theme, but Vivant’s consistency in product quality will stay the same, Pomerleau said.
“People know and love Vivant,” he said. “I don’t want to give them something that’s not Vivant.”
Before 11 a.m on opening day, shoppers already formed a line down the block.
“I told myself I wasn’t going to buy anything. Walked out, spent almost $200 dollars,” said Boston University sophomore Victoria Spignolio.
Spignolio said Vivant’s new location felt in tune with current fashion trends and described its selection as “Y2K” and appealing to a younger generation.
“I love the Allston location. It’s my favorite thrift store in the world,” Janira Skrbkova, a second-year at Northeastern University, said. “When I heard this one was opening, I totally roped [my friends] into coming with me because I was so excited.”
For other Vivant shoppers, like Northeastern second-year Andrew Longo, Vivant guarantees quality.
“[Vivant] is someplace you know you’re going to find good vintage,” Longo said.
Pomerleau said that Vivant’s goal is to dress everyone.
“I’ve always found that it’s all about care, knowledge, respect, creating a safe space, making people feel comfortable, being themselves and finding themselves,” he said.
