Julianna Davies is the proud owner and founder of Julianna’s Thrift Shop at 6448 Yonge St.
Davies loves thrift shopping, so she opened her own business in Churchill in March.
“The best part of thrifting is the people and treasures,” Davies said. “The people are a huge part of it. I have always found the people to be the sweetest, kind hearts and others so passionate about reusing, repurposing and loving newfound items. Sometimes, a simple conversation with someone can brighten their day and make a difference to their quality of life. I am all for the simple joys of being kind.”
Julianna Davies grew up in Bradford with two siblings and her father. She volunteered at two thrift stores that her aunt operated and enjoys incorporating thrift shopping into the girls’ days spent with her mother and sister. She has been a resident of Lefroy for nine years.
Davies explained that her most treasured thrift store finds are items for her daughters.
“When they were younger, they wanted a Barbie airplane,” she said. “We went to Toys R Us and it was over $100. That was out of the budget. We had already planned a thrifting day and decided to think good thoughts of maybe finding one at one of (the) few places we were stopping.
“Turned out the first one we stopped at had a vintage Barbie plane. All it needed was a nice wipe down and we got it for six dollars.”
Anyone interested in donating items such as used toys, books, housewares and decorative art to go alongside clothes, jewellery and purses already on site are invited to drop them off.
When asked why Davies opened Julianna’s Thrift Shop, she said it started with an injury.
“I broke my ankle in November 2022,” Davies said. “Losing my mobility was a big adjustment and made me really look at what I wanted my professional life to look like ... I did a lot of self-(reflection) and digging into my true passions and realized that a thrift store was the perfect combination of my true loves.”
She noted that keeping items out of the landfill is important.
Customer Dixie Roach called the shop "so well-organized."
"Every room has its own theme, the location is convenient and the prices are very fair," she said.
Davies is expecting her third child in June, so she understands the value of community and affordability.
“As kids, we were so happy to receive a bag of donated clothes from someone," she said. "It would be (a) fashion show down the halls, fun, laughter, trying on all the new items. It's been amazing to watch my girls enjoy the same fun when someone brought a bag over for them — (it) truly warms me to bits.”
When asked about pricing donated items, Davies said, “Getting the pricing right was something I was concerned about. I wanted to be fair, but also make it accessible to the many. When I started thrifting, it was because we couldn't afford to (purchase) new-new (items) at the malls, and it was great. We loved it — finding unique and 'just us' items was amazing. Even now and as my kids have aged, it's always been a challenge to keep up with their growing sizes and constant need for new — or new to us — clothing.”
“I wanted to keep the true ‘thrifting’ prices alive and available for the families in our community; prices that I would want to see for myself and my family.”
Julianna’s is open Wednesdays to Sundays. Follow Davies' Facebook page for more information.
