Chris Gauger, owner of Here We Go Again women’s consignment shop, dresses her store and her community. (Photo by Amanda Grier)
Nothing says Portland better than “reduce, reuse and recycle.” And nobody knows better than Chris Gauger, owner of “Here We Go Again,” a women’s consignment store she started 17 years ago. During a lunch meeting, Chris has much to share about the role of running a local business, the importance of good customer service and the fun of letting go of of the day-to-day stuff in order to create new cross-promotional ideas.
Chris hails from Lincoln, Nebraska where her mother and sister run a consignment store called “One More Time.” She came to Portland with her husband after earning a master’s degree in dance. In 1992 she opened her first consignment store on Barbur Blvd. in Southwest Portland. Chris has since changed her southwest location to the popular and walkable John’s Landing and she has opened a second store in the hip neighborhood of Northeast Broadway.
Chris can claim success at a time in which, as she puts it, “economizing is cool again.” Other than being cool, it is also practical. She asserts that women go through their clothing more rapidly than men because we are expected to be fashionable and to wear new things more frequently. But men need not worry, they can shop in a neighboring men’s consignment store across the street from her Broadway location. Her concept is great because it focuses solely on women and is tailored to fit their busy lifestyles. While shopping, the busy mom can recycle her old batteries during the Earth Day battery drive. The working woman can stop by for after-work shopping hours, usually offering further discounts and complimentary snacks. And the anytime shopper, hoping to find the perfect outfit, can get great fashion advice and kind customer service that will leave her exuding confidence.
Chris, raised to value volunteering, emphasizes friendly customer service. She believes in exceeding customers’ expectations at her stores. At special events she is often likely to combine both this quality of charity and business. This winter she held the SOUP-ER Bowl, to support the Oregon Food Bank by collecting soup cans during the Super Bowl. Next she is looking to start a neighborhood drive for those hard-to-get-rid-of and where-do-you-take-them-anyway styrofoam blocks from appliance packaging. And finally, her standard practice with clothing that does not make it to resale is to take it to the emergency food/clothing pantry on Hawthorne called Fish Emergency Service.
During our brief lunch date Chris continues to cycle through many more fresh ideas she has for making her business more green and more local. She wants to get locally recycled paper bags with handles not only to encourage reusing but in order to “complete the circle.” We agree that this is the fun part; by letting her staff take more ownership of the day-to-day operations of the stores she frees up some time for creative thinking.
Last month I joined in as Chris supported the locally owned Northwest Women’s Fitness Club by offering free weight training in her store on a Saturday morning. It was an hour long “Soup Can Arm Sculpting” class that ended with a glass of water on a silver platter and some freebies to the gym. Her ability to connect and bring people together does not stop there. Chris is reaching out and networking with other local businesses in order to meet new customers and to create new opportunities.
Chris regards networking in the community as important and doesn’t think that women do this enough. She enjoys mentoring women, including her staff, who typically work for her for three to seven years. She also enjoys supporting locally owned establishments, and is active in her local business associations. Clearly she is tapping into the heart of what it means to be a Portlander.
As our conversation comes to an end, Chris lets me know of a few hundred new consignments she needs to get ready for the weekend. So if you want to pick up a green habit or two, stop into “Here We Go Again Consignment and Resale” to experience just what Chris has to offer. And if you want to simplify your life, bring in a bag of clothes in good condition for resale.
You never know what you might find.
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You can stop by the Here We Go Again Consignment and Resale stores at either 0511 SW Carolina Street Portland, OR 97239 or 2438 NE Broadway Avenue, Portland, OR 97232. Or visit the web site at www.hwga.com
Amanda Grier is a Footwear Distributor/Kid’s Footwear Buyer for Adidas, and loves to write, read and learn about the community and Portland.
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