When Amanda Failla Tjarks launched her vintage clothing business, she didn’t start with a storefront. Like many successful retail entrepreneurs, she tested her concept through pop-ups in Chicago while working a corporate marketing job. That side hustle eventually became Albany and Avers, a sustainable fashion boutique now anchored in Omaha’s Dundee neighborhood.
Her path from temporary retail spaces to a permanent location offers a case study in how small business owners can build sustainable retail operations while addressing growing consumer demand for alternatives to fast fashion.
From Chicago Pop-Ups to Omaha’s Dundee District
Amanda’s initial strategy was straightforward: host pop-up shops to validate demand without committing to long-term overhead. The model worked. She built a customer base and refined her product selection through direct feedback at these temporary events.
When pandemic disruptions derailed plans for a Chicago storefront in 2020, Amanda relocated to her hometown of Omaha. In 2021, she secured a short-term lease in the Little Bohemia neighborhood to test the local market. The response confirmed what her Chicago experience had suggested: there was an appetite for curated vintage clothing.
Why Pop-Up Retail Works as a Testing Ground
Pop-up retail reduces risk while providing real market data. For Amanda, these temporary shops allowed her to:
- Gauge customer interest without significant capital investment
- Experiment with pricing and product mix
- Build relationships with potential long-term customers
- Generate revenue while developing her permanent business plan
A connection through a customer eventually led to her current Dundee location, where Albany and Avers has established itself as a neighborhood fixture.
The Shift from Fast Fashion to Exclusive Vintage Curation
Albany and Avers began with a mix of new and vintage inventory. Over time, Amanda transitioned to exclusively secondhand goods, driven by increasing awareness of fashion’s environmental footprint.
The fashion industry generates significant waste. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or incinerated every second globally. By focusing entirely on vintage and secondhand items, Amanda positions her business within the slow fashion movement — an approach that emphasizes quality, longevity and reuse over disposable trends.
Environmental Impact Drives Business Model
The shift to sustainable-only inventory wasn’t just ideological; it became a competitive advantage. Amanda’s curation focuses on:
- Current trend alignment with vintage aesthetics
- One-of-a-kind pieces unavailable through mass retailers
- Quality construction that justifies higher price points
- Education around garment care and longevity
She monitors national fashion trends and translates them to Omaha customers through carefully selected vintage pieces. This approach differentiates her boutique from both traditional thrift stores and fast fashion chains.
Building a Business Through Community Collaboration
From the start, Amanda structured Albany and Avers as a collaborative retail space. The shop regularly hosts other small businesses and makers, functioning as both a boutique and a venue for creative exchange.
Her partnership with Exist Green, a zero-waste shop also in Dundee, demonstrates this model. Their joint sustainability events cover practical topics like garment care and DIY cleaning solutions, making eco-conscious living more accessible to mainstream consumers.
How Small Retail Partnerships Create Value
These collaborations serve multiple purposes:
- Cross-promotion expands both businesses’ customer bases
- Shared events reduce individual marketing costs
- Educational programming builds community loyalty
- Pop-up opportunities support other entrepreneurs
This strategy reflects a broader shift in independent retail, where cooperation often proves more valuable than competition, particularly in neighborhood commercial districts.
Essential Advice for Starting a Retail Business
Amanda’s guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs centers on action over planning. Her recommended first steps: create a logo, launch an Instagram account and build a basic website.
The advice runs counter to conventional wisdom about detailed business plans and perfect timing. Instead, Amanda advocates for learning through execution.
Why “Just Start” Actually Works
Growing up with parents who ran their own business gave Amanda a realistic view of entrepreneurship. She understood that waiting for ideal conditions rarely leads to launch. Her approach emphasizes:
- Taking incremental steps that build momentum
- Learning from real customer interactions rather than hypothetical planning
- Seeking advice from other business owners (most are willing to share experience)
- Adjusting strategy based on actual market response
She notes that Omaha’s business community is particularly supportive of new entrepreneurs, with established owners often willing to provide guidance.
Omaha’s Growing Sustainable Fashion Scene
Albany and Avers operates within a larger ecosystem of Omaha businesses focused on sustainability and local production. The Dundee neighborhood has become a hub for this movement, with multiple shops emphasizing environmental consciousness alongside commerce.
The boutique regularly participates in local markets and events that connect sustainable businesses with consumers looking for alternatives to conventional retail. These venues—from farmers markets to curated pop-up events — create distribution channels for small businesses that can’t compete with big-box advertising budgets.
Amanda’s success suggests there’s a viable market for sustainable fashion retail in mid-sized cities, not just coastal urban centers. As consumer awareness of fashion’s environmental impact grows, businesses like Albany and Avers demonstrate that profitable retail models can align with environmental values.
For entrepreneurs considering vintage or sustainable retail, her journey offers a practical roadmap: start small, validate demand, build community partnerships and let customer response guide strategy. The perfect moment to launch rarely arrives — but the market will tell you quickly whether your concept works.
