Doing business with style: Tiffany's Reloved opens in Luzerne

Sep. 29—LUZERNE — Tiffany Zito stood in the middle of her thrift store surrounded by boxes of donations, her stylish orange dress providing the only source of warmth on an otherwise cold and rainy day.

"I have to look like I know what I'm doing," she said about her outfit, which included a silver studded belt and black leather boots.

Looking the part is important to Zito, 42, who just last weekend celebrated the grand opening of her second-hand shop, Tiffany's Reloved, located at 86 Main Street.

By styling herself in the way best she can, the business owner hopes her customers will trust her enough to style them too.

"I tell people, 'If you don't know how to dress your body or you really like a piece, but you don't know what to wear with it, let me dress you,'" Zito explained.

The thrift store and consignment shop, which was a bank in the 1970s, is jam-packed with carefully curated items. You can find just about anything inside — dishware, furniture, clothing and jewelry. There is even a vintage boutique section.

Surprisingly, several items in the store aren't for sale at all. For example, kid's toys are scattered around so children can play while their parents shop.

And then there is a pair of beautifully crafted green leather armchairs that Zito continuously refuses to sell, even though she's had many offers. She wanted to keep them so her customers had somewhere to sit down and relax.

"I want this to be a comfortable place where people can come and feel welcome no matter what's going on out there," Zito said, adding that she also offers complimentary coffee.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, the business owner moved to Wilkes-Barre with her parents when she was 17. Zito, who now resides in Nanticoke and is mom to four children, considered herself a lifelong thrifter.

"The treasure hunt is my favorite part. Never knowing what you're gonna find. I think that's really cool," she said.

Although Zito began her career as a hairdresser and remained one for a decade, her true passion since she was a kid was fashion.

"I remember even when I had to put a business plan together for beauty school, part of it was having a boutique to style people," she said.

Over time, Zito accumulated a lot of items. At her previous home, there was an entire third floor filled with bins and she also had a storage locker filled with stuff.

Eventually, she started selling pieces online, but that didn't allow for the kind of personalized shopping experience Zito longed to give her customers.

"I like the aspect of talking to people, helping people, finding what they need and you can't do that online," she explained.

Zito decided to find a storefront about a year and a half ago. Although she initially looked at some much larger spaces, something clicked when she stepped inside the spot on Main Street.

"The universe made it be my place. I walked in and felt like the space was right for me. I'm a big energy person and the energy was just really good in here," said Zito.

Other business owners on the street have opened their arms to Zito, something she's grateful for.

"So many other business owners have come in to make purchases to support me. A lot of them donated baskets or gift cards for the grand opening event," she said.

One of Zito's favorite parts of owning a second-hand shop is rescuing items that would otherwise be discarded. Sustainability is a key focus.

"There's already so much out there. I buy new occasionally, but it's very rare because I feel like it's just a waste. There's so much out there waiting to be loved," Zito said.

Older pieces tend to last longer too. Conversely, Zito said a lot of newer furniture is made of composite wood that falls apart quickly.

"Stuff is just not made the way it used to be, whether it's the clothing, the shoes, the housewares. It's just not made with the same care and detail," she explained.

In the end, though, everything circles back to her customers and her desire to help them feel happy and confident in the clothing they wear.

"It is a really beautiful thing to be able to have people see themselves through your eyes, even for just a moment," she said. "It's just clothing and it might be superficial, but at the end of the day, when we look good we feel good."

Tiffany's Reloved is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday.