Janice Oberman, who has a summer home in East Hampton, always snags a great deal at The Retreat Boutique in the Bridgehampton Commons.
Friday afternoon, she found a pair of gray, square-shaped Marni sunglasses, valued at $500, on sale in the thrift store for only $50. She bought them, along with a beaded turquoise dress the boutique’s manager, Jessica Burdine, thought would look just fabulous on the tall, thin brunette.
“She anticipates exactly what I like,” Ms. Oberman said about Ms. Burdine.
Finds like the Marni sunglasses may be easier to spot now that The Retreat Boutique has moved into a larger space — almost twice the size — explained Ms. Burdine. The shop moved from another location at the Commons to a freestanding building in the parking lot near T.J. Maxx on April 20, because Kimco Realty, the owners of the shopping center, inked a deal with Staples. The office supply store plans to move into the space the thrift shop, Ann Taylor Loft and Gap Kids formerly occupied.
Ann Taylor Loft has yet to re-open in the Commons and Gap Kids moved into the Gap.
“Kimco was very generous — this space is bigger,” said Ms. Burdine. “We thought the traffic would diminish here, but it hasn’t. And it’s bright and sunny.”
The previous location, near the King Kullen, was about 1,000 square feet. The new space is 1,800, the manager said.
Moving from the old space to the new one took about one week to complete, Ms. Burdine said, adding that she would not have been able to do it without volunteers Betsy Nichol, Arlene Slavin and Rich DeMateo. Those volunteers, plus Ms. Burdine and assistant manager Marilyn Levine, comprised a committee charged with organizing the new store.
All the proceeds from the sale of clothes, jewelry and housewares at the shop benefit The Retreat, a shelter for battered women on Goodfriend Drive in East Hampton.
The wealthy people who summer in the Hamptons often donate name-brand designer clothing, accessories and jewelry — as well as art and home furnishings — to the shop, Ms. Burdine said. For example, a couple who just purchased an estate that was already furnished cleared the home of the furniture, and dropped it off at the store.
The shop also received two 8-foot bronze statues of Olympian-looking women holding torches that weigh 400 pounds each. The statues are valued at $15,000, but will sell for much less in the thrift store. Ms. Burdine was also given a $10,000 oriental rug to sell, she explained.
The new location in the Bridgehampton Commons is the store’s fourth or fifth since they opened more than six years ago, Ms. Burdine said. So many, she lost count. Immediately before opening up for business in the Commons, the boutique was located in Wainscott.
The new location allows Ms. Burdine to express her artistic creativity and better “edit” how she showcases donations of Donna Karan shirts, striped wraps and silk ties for men. The store is meant to have a Los Angeles vibe, she added. “It’s a metropolitan shopping experience,” she said.
The Retreat Boutique will have a grand opening celebration on May 8.
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