Vintage store relocates to bigger spot in the heart of NoDa

Why it matters: At a time when online shopping dominates how we buy things, there’s something special about showing up to a vintage boutique and finding a one-of-a-kind concert T-shirt or a rare baseball hat.

• Plus, although Charlotte shoppers love big global brands like Zara, plenty of consumers are moving away from fast fashion, and instead are embracing vintage or secondhand shopping because it is more environmentally friendly.

Flashback: OldNews opened about five years ago in a 750-square-foot space on the ground floor of the Renaissance apartment building at 3520 N. Davidson. The retailer, started by business partners Nathan Cyr and Taylor Hodge, quickly gained popularity — despite a lack of an online presence during the pandemic.

• OldNews’ sales, Cyr tells Axios, routinely generate lines of customers out the door.
• Apparel ranges from $10 to around $80, Cyr says.
• Cyr estimates about 98% of the apparel at OldNews is sourced by the retailer’s own employees. A small amount is consigned from customers.

Details: The shop’s new 1,500-square-foot location at 3225 N. Davidson is the former home of TAC art gallery, and before that, Sunshine Daydreams. It opens on Saturday, Aug. 12.

• The shop will operate 11am-7pm — possibly eventually later, per Cyr.
• “We’ve needed to grow our store space badly for the past few years, but we didn’t want to leave NoDa,” Cyr says.

Of note: OldNews’ old spot will remain open for now, selling everything for $10. Inventory in the new location will be all fresh, per Cyr.

Take a look around the new space. Frank Jernigan of the Nichols Co. was the broker on the deal. Photos are courtesy of Nathan Cyr.