Ribbon Cut

Business community welcomes new ownership of Renew Consignment and Thrift

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[May 13, 2018]  On Monday evening a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in honor of the new owners of Renew Consignment and Thrift, located at 201 South Sangamon Street in Lincoln.

Angie Bossingham, Liz Hays, and Jennifer Schneider purchased the Renew name and stock in October of 2017. That was a transition period for the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce, and the new owners did not get the opportunity to have a ribbon cut. So, on Monday evening members of the business community joined together to welcome the new owners to the business community.

Former Chamber Member/Ambassador Deron Powell and Joe Ryan were on hand and held the ribbon for the cut. Kristi Powell, Kathy Horn, and LDN’s Karen Hargis, also former ambassadors, were on hand as well.

Representing the city of Lincoln were City Clerk Peggy Bateman and Mayor Seth Goodman.

Also in the crowd was a wide array of friends and family of the owners and one of their two staff members, Roger Mote.

The ribbon cut was hosted by Lincoln Daily News, with all local media being invited to join in.

The cut was kicked off with a few words from Nila Smith of LDN. It was noted that the business had been a change of ownership and the goal for the evening was to celebrate with the new owners their big investment in the business community.

Lincoln is a town that is both blessed and challenged in that its shopping district extends far beyond the downtown square. Smith spoke about the importance of attractive and thriving businesses along the Amtrak corridor along Chicago and Sangamon Streets and said it was important for the city that a good face be put forward to Amtrak travelers. Giving passengers a view of interesting stores is one way to entice them to come back to Lincoln for a day of exploring.

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According to a research survey by a national retailers association, 15 percent of all retail shopping in the country takes place in thrift, resale, and consignment stores. Smith said to put that in perspective the same survey showed that only 20 percent of all retail shopping is done in big box stores. She said that drives home the value of stores such as Renew to our community.

Mayor Seth Goodman said he wanted to congratulate the new owners and thanked them for their investment in Lincoln. He wished them the best of luck in the future.

Bossingham, Hays and Schneider then spoke collectively. Their first priority was to recognize their two staff members whom they said are an invaluable part of the business. All three of the owners work full-time jobs in addition to owning Renew. They rely heavily on Roger Mote and Jenni Mollett to keep things running smoothly at the store.

They also expressed appreciation for family members that helped with the heavy lifting and filled in the gaps such as babysitting and helping with personal life tasks as the three owners have worked to build the business.

All three echoed that without that personal support team, they would not be able to do what they have done and that support means a great deal to all three.

After taking a few posed pictures, the group helped with the countdown to cut by calling out “3-2-1 snip!”

After the cut everyone was invited back inside the store for refreshments and an opportunity to visit one-on-one with the owners, and of course, do a little shopping.

Congratulations to Bossingham, Hays, and Schneider, best wishes and good luck in your new business!


[Nila Smith]

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