Opening Day for Second Hand Clothing Store

There's a new option for shoppers on a budget in Billings. Fashion Runway Exchange, a second-hand clothing store, is now open for business. People started lining up at 5:30 Friday morning outside of the new business where you can buy and sell
"I live on my own and I haven't bought any new clothes since Christmas, so I was really excited to come in here and get jeans for 10 bucks," said Billings local Lauren Boatman.
The store allows customers to sell clothing on the spot. No consignment. Then, the clothes are sold at reasonable prices.
"You know my parents thought I was crazy for leaving school, but this is what I wanted to do, so I dropped everything and moved to a new town," said Runway Fashion Exchange Owner Bailey Ferguson.
And it was a great opening day for the store's 19-year-old owner. Ferguson says she felt it was the right time to open a business like this in Billings. For the past month, she bought the clothing to fill the store, and then crossed her fingers.
"Right now the economy is so hard. There are so many things that cause so much stress for so many families, so this a great store for them," said Ferguson, "As a business owner, that was a scary thought. I mean we were paying out thousands of dollars everyday and not making a cent because we had to fill up our store."
The owner of Second Time Around says she too is seeing a lot people selling clothes for cash, but not a lot of people buying.
"Right now we're not opening any new accounts because we just can't get everybody through here. With the economy the way it is, everybody wants to sell their clothes," said Second Time Around owner Rita Booke.
There are several thrift shops across Billings that cater to different crowds. Ferguson says she is geared towards teens and young adults and hopes the crowds continue well past opening day.
Both stores are jam-packed with items for back to school season, and the owners say it's a great way to save on clothes for the kids.