Frugal Celebrates 3rd Anniversary in Collingswood

Three years ago to the day, Morgan Robinson was heading into the office for the last time.

Four days after that, she was opening the doors to Frugal, her Haddon Avenue vintage and thrift clothing store with an inventory of donations from friends, family, and leftovers from the First Baptist Church kids' clothing swap.

"When I look at pictures," Robinson said, "I can't believe I opened the door.

"The first winter, all of the offseason storage was in our dining room," she said. "It was four to five feet high with Rubbermaid bins.

"We were so optimistic and excited that we didn't have time to be afraid," she said. 

"But it was not easy."

'After this year, you're good'

After three years, Robinson has learned to breathe a little bit easier. But she still hears conflicting—if well-intentioned—wisdom as to how much time it takes for a small business to consider itself safely established. 

"Every year, somebody says, 'oh after the first year you're good,'" Robinson said. Then next year, it was "second year, you're good."

Three years in business has given Robinson the confidence to consider a second location—maybe—as well as more chances to pay forward the good will she's received from her customers. 

Since November 2010, Frugal has paid out more than $7,000 to local charities. Her monthly, body-image-positive, Ladies Night shopping events also help cultivate an atmosphere of trust that customers have come to appreciate.

As the years have passed, Robinson also has developed her secret gift of helping shoppers discover the perfect outfit for their body type and personal style. 

"It helps if you know them," she said. "I don't know that I can do that for everybody who walks in."

"I like that we know who wants help and who wants to be left alone. People who want to take an hour and look at every piece and listen to the music, we're fine with that. We appreciate it."

It's a knack she's honed with greater acuity as she's gotten to know more of her Collingswood neighbors. Raising three boys in three different borough schools also helps, she said.

"We're from here," Robinson said. "We live a block from here. We already loved it here, and [owning a store in town] has made me feel even more connected to the community."

'Rescuing' vintage garments

As Robinson's connection with the community has deepened, so has her level of brand awareness, her depth of knowledge about vintage clothing, and her appreciation for the quality of a well-made garment.

"Before I shopped for things I wanted," Robinson said. "Now I shop for quality. That wasn't something I thought of in the beginning. It's cheaper to get great stuff used than it is to buy garbage at Old Navy.

"[When] a garment comes in and it's 30 or 40 or 50 years old, it's impressive that it held up that long," Robinson said.

"It can go on forever, the cycle of certain things. You feel like a keeper of the history of it. You feel like you're rescuing them." 

In celebration of its third anniversary, Frugal will host a Second Saturday party with food and drinks from 6 to 9 p.m. November 9.

Shoppers who buy two items can pick out a third of equal or lesser value for free during the anniversary sale, which runs through Wednesday, November 13.