Local couple opens new thrift shop on the Red Oak downtown square

Red Oak’s town square has just gotten a little more lively now that Wolfe Thrift Shop, which is run by young business owners Ayden and Sapphire Wolfe, is officially open for business.
Though there were many factors that motivated the two to open the store, Sapphire said her primary inspiration came from her own love of thrifting.
“I like to act upon passion,” she said. “I love thrifting, and I love collecting funky little items.”
Sapphire mentioned that small town thrift stores hold a special place in her heart. When she was younger, she frequently visited these shops with her mother, and she holds many special memories of these occasions.
“I find my favorite things there, and I’d hope that people in the community would also find that type of experience,” she said.
The first step in turning the couple’s vision into reality was to find the ideal location to set up shop and to formulate a business plan. Though they found quite a few different locations within Red Oak, Ayden said they decided to set up on 220 East Coolbaugh St., which is on a corner of the Square.
“Out of the two [possible locations], this was going to be our perfect starter spot,” he said. “[It has] a nice back section that we can work with on inventory, and a front section that we can play with as well.”
According to Ayden, it took approximately three months of planning, painting, building and organizing before the shop could open. Sapphire said they also got creative when collecting furniture and shelves to use for displays.
“Not only are we building shelves, but we’re also reusing items that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill, such as old ladders or things that people were ready to throw away.”
Sapphire stated that giving salvageable items a second life is a goal that she and Ayden both strive to achieve.
“No matter what the state was, we can make them look nice, put some work into it, and reuse them, which is kind of a big core belief … to basically keep things from ending up in a landfill that could have a second life,” she said.
Both Ayden and Sapphire said their family and friends helped them immensely throughout the planning and opening process. They have also made use of social media to spread the word and find individuals within the community who have items to donate.
Upon entering the shop, customers are met with decorations, trinkets, household items and a collection of clothes for all ages and sizes. Members of the community have the option to donate old items to the shop as well.
After receiving donations, Sapphire and Ayden review the quality of items to ensure they are selling affordable, clean and wearable clothes to their customers.
“We double check on the quality and make sure everything works, so [for] people that can’t quite afford new [items], they can be able to come into the store and at least receive some relief instead of the pressure of having to buy new things,” Sapphire said.
Ayden later mentioned that he and Sapphire spend much of their time carefully determining the prices of items to ensure they are fair and affordable.
“We would research the price of new,” he said. “We [also] research what other thrift stores sell for. Then, we usually go cheaper than that, and then we have a group consensus, usually, on price as well.”
Ayden and Sapphire mentioned that before the thrift shop first opened in late May, they faced a few challenges while getting things prepared. Perhaps the biggest barrier they faced was finishing construction on the front of the building.
Continuing with this idea, Ayden said the shop’s front windows needed to be replaced. However, the materials they needed were not in stock. This therefore interfered with drawing attention to the new business, and a piece of plywood still stands in the place of windows.
“That’s probably been our biggest struggle, but we’ve kind of gotten our word out on the Internet and tried to put up some welcoming-looking signs on the outside,” he said. “We’ve gotten a little bit more business.”
The couple is hoping to have the windows replaced within the next few weeks, specifically before large city events take place, such as RAGBRAI.
“We have found incredible support through the community already … we’ve really been relying on the community to spread the word out, and that alone has brought in quite a few people,” Sapphire said. “We’re so appreciative of that.”
In the future, the couple plans to make many upgrades to their young business. Sapphire said that first, she and Ayden will complete construction in the back section of the store and expand it to include larger appliances as well as furniture. Then, more shelving will be placed in the front for clothes and smaller items.
Ayden added on to Sapphire’s hopes for the near future by mentioning he plans to hire more staff members as well as implement a pickup and delivery service. He also wants to incorporate recycling into their business practices.
“I want to expand into a recycling operation and maybe even an alternative type of landfill involved with enzymes, bacteria and fungi to learn how to break down every piece of a component,” he said. “In the long term, it is a big operation.”
Lately, Wolfe Thrift Shop has seen an increase in visitors thanks to word-of-mouth marketing and Junction Days. Sapphire estimated that around 15-20 visitors come in each day, though she is hoping to see an uptick in the near future.
“I just hope that we will be providing a good service for the community as being an affordable store that people can rely on, especially when times are tough with inflation and just prices going up in general,” Sapphire said.
In an ordinary week, Wolfe Thrift Shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
“Even though this is a business and a shop and we have to make a living too, it’s also important for me to provide … a sense of community within the thrifting world and supporting secondhand items,” Sapphire said.
For any questions regarding the business, Ayden and Sapphire can be reached through the Wolfe Thrift Shop page on Facebook or in person during the hours listed previously.