By RONDA GREGORY
News & Journal Staff Writer
Customers get an extra dose of adorable at B & L Thrift Shop & More in Nutter Fort when they walk through the door.
They’re not only greeted by a lovely, personable mother-and-daughter team, owner Libby Jenkins and daughter Kayla Weasenforth, they get “more.” The “more” is Ginger, Kayla’s almost-three-year-old chihuahua-terrier mix, who is both customer-friendly and customer-curious. She comes right up to a shop visitor for a look-see and pet … if invited.
Weasenforth, Ginger’s “mom”, said the puppy was her graduation gift that needed a home. She explained that Ginger was the beloved pet of an elderly gentleman who was having to move to a retirement home. She said she’s thrilled to have Ginger as her own now and keeps the precious pup right by her side.
“Ginger has some anxiety issues and wants to be with me,” Weasenforth said, as she hugged her furry baby.
That’s just fine with her, Jenkins said of her granddog, because having Ginger at the shop is an added bonus for their shoppers, especially seniors.
“It just thrills them to death,” Jenkins said. “It brightens their day.”
But every one of their customers’ days can be brightened by seeing the interesting variety of neatly displayed and organized merchandise at B & L. The store is arranged in well-laid-out, easy-to-see groupings throughout six full rooms of items, allowing customers to shop with ease.
“People don’t like to have to dig through stuff to find what they want,” Weasenforth said.
Jenkins agreed and said in designing and maintaining the layout and atmosphere of the shop, neatness and cleanliness count. She said she wanted a “more upgraded” type of shop than many thrift stores have. She added that she maintains a high-level of cleanliness, even washing most all clothing before stocking.
“To have things clean and neat just makes your life so much easier,” Jenkins said. “And it makes a more pleasant shopping experience for our customers.”
B & L’s merchandise includes: clothing for everyone – infants and up and plus sizes – a wide selection of jewelry and other accessories, footwear, houseware, antiques, primitives and other home decor items.
Referring to the clothing, Jenkins said, “We have a lot of name brands – clothes that everyone wants.”
Jenkins and Weasenforth are especially proud of their primitive offerings, they said, because they, along with Jenkins’ husband, handmake all of them.
Weasenforth said crafting the primitive products is one of her favorite jobs.
“I like to cut out the wood and put it together,” she said.
From its original garage home in Mount Clare to its new home in mid-January at suite 306 West Medwood Plaza in Nutter Fort, B & L has been a realized dream for Jenkins.
“I love thrift shopping myself and I’ve always wanted to have my own business, where my own hard work benefited my family directly,” she said.
Having started the shop three years ago in her garage, Jenkins said she’s very pleased now with her shop’s new address in Nutter Fort and the added customer traffic moving has brought.
“You know what they say …’location, location, location’,” Jenkins said. “Being here has brought us so much more business.”
But, she said, they always welcome more “friends” to stop by and meet Ginger, while getting some great quality bargains.
They can during store hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays of the month.
For more information, call (304) 841-4245, or visit on Facebook.
