Today we’d like to introduce you to Analisa LaCour.
Hi Analisa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a third generation thrifter- my mom & her mother always loved going to thrift stores & antique shops to find unique treasures & their appreciation for vintage pieces really made an impression on me.
When I moved to Richmond in 2024, I was lost, career-wise. I had been a stay at home mom for the past 4 years and loathed the idea of going back to my pre-covid career path. I had been thrifting & antiquing items for my home & sharing it on social media. The feedback I received from my friends was so positive that I woke up one morning and thought, “what if I….start a business?” I got my LLC paperwork submitted and the rest is history!
I started out strictly selling home goods through Etsy, then quickly jumped into the market scene. That took over as the primary way I developed a customer base & connected with other small businesses. Over time I dipped into selling vintage & secondhand jewelry & clothing, which helped my business grow and take shape as a place to find unique pieces that are colorful, joy-inducing & size-inclusive!
Through a vendor friend I was connected with my first opportunity at a retail space, which was a room in Envelope, an artist space in the Fan neighborhood of Richmond. It was not a traditional store front but it allowed me to curate a shop space and prove to myself that I could pay a monthly rent. It’s also where I had the freedom and inspiration to explore upcycling, which is now a component of NOWHERE Thrift that I find rewarding creatively.
Through yet another vendor friend I became connected with Kind Hearted Goods, the shop space I’m currently in. When the owner, Tippy, invited me to join the KHG collective, I was ecstatic! It was a chance to be part of a true retail space and bring other makers & curators along for the ride! At this time there are 11 other small business/artists featured in the NOWHERE Thrift shop! It makes me so happy that I can help support & uplift the work of fellow small businesses & creatives.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest challenge is trying to survive in a difficult economy. Retail is an unpredictable field that also tends to have seasonal highs & lows. It’s challenging as a business owner to figure out ways to adapt so that you can continue to exist, despite the uncertainty.
From a macro perspective, the greatest challenge I face is how to compete with the ease-of-access and low prices of fast fashion & big box stores. It’s much easier to go online and order exactly what you want in your exact size, rather than have to sift through racks that may not have what you’re looking for…or even if I have it, it may not be in your size. Because I’m in the world of secondhand and vintage, it doesn’t even occur to me to shop outside of thrift stores or vintage markets, but I realize that’s not the norm. I’m really passionate about the sustainability aspect of shopping secondhand and hope that my shop can play a role, no matter how small, in inspiring someone to buy secondhand first.
As you know, we’re big fans of NOWHERE Thrift. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
NOWHERE Thrift is a vintage and secondhand shop owned by Analisa LaCour. We feature colorful, size-inclusive vintage & secondhand clothing, as well as vintage home goods, art & jewelry. The shop also features original art pieces and clothing from local artists, many of whom use upcycled materials.
NOWHERE Thrift also pops up at markets in Richmond & Charlottesville!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think more people are becoming aware of how harmful it is for our planet that we’re constantly buying new- it’s the reason places like Facebook marketplace have become so popular. Social media has also played a huge role in promoting thrifting, upcycling & reusing. Hopefully these trends will continue to grow and shopping secondhand becomes the norm.
Contact Info:
