Busload of shopkeepers visits Algonquin resale stores
A busload of resale and thrift shop owners descended upon three stores near the Randall Road corridor this month to get an idea of how they run their successful businesses.
More than 50 members of the National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores, called NARTS for short, stopped in to check out Your Best Friend's Closet, Your Best Friend's Home, and Love It Again, all within the Prestwicke Plaza, west of Algonquin Road near Square Barn Road.
Each year, NARTS holds a tour of resale shops in different cities.
This year, the tour was headquartered in Arlington Heights, and the group made the trek past the Randall Road corridor to check out these three stores.
The tour was designed to give other shop owners throughout the United States a glimpse of different resale shops, said Marianne Evans, owner of Algonquin's Your Best Friend's Closet and Your Best Friend's Home.
The visitors checked out the shops and their inventory, their back stockrooms and then asked questions about the success of the business.
"NARTS is truly an organization about entrepreneurs in this industry helping each other succeed," Evans said. "We were happy to share our secrets, tips and then, of course, learn from other shop owners."
It was exciting to be picked for the tour, said Evans, who has been in business for 12 years.
The crew at Your Best Friend's Closet planned a special welcome to greet the NARTS members.
"It was truly an honor to be picked for the bus tour - one of the highlights of my 12 years in business," Evans said. "The compliments were overflowing about the stores and just seeing everyone learn from each other.
"Our team waited outside for them to come on the bus and cheered and clapped for them as they disembarked the bus," she said. "We also had several VIP customers/consignors come and help us greet the bus tour attendees, as well as answer any questions they may have had from a consignor/customer perspective."
In addition to visiting the three shops in the same Algonquin strip mall, the tour also went to Sparrow's Nest in Cary and McHenry and Lucille's in Arlington Heights.
Mini Makers:
This weekend, the Barnes and Noble along the Randall Road corridor in Geneva is hosting a Mini Maker Faire, where guests of all ages can learn about the latest in new technology for creating.
At 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, the Faire will focus on the latest in virtual reality, augmented reality, 3-D printing, robotics, coding and more.
From noon to 5 p.m., you'll get to immerse yourself in a variety of materials perfect for creating anything you can dream.
At 1 p.m., there also will be a demonstration from the Sylvan Learning Center in South Elgin on Legos and Robotics.
For information, call Barnes and Noble at (630) 262-8568.
• Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from Batavia to Crystal Lake. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or (847) 894-5036.