| Aug 23, 2007


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Feature Article - August 23, 2007

Jitterbugs

by Jeff Green

Deb Baergen has a good explanation about her decision to give her consignment store in Verona the name Jitterbugs.

“I wanted something that had nothing to do with the store. Jitterbugs just came to my mind,” she said, when interviewed at the store last week.

Although deliberately making the name of the store not correspond to the products in the store seems to be an odd way of doing things things, Deb Baergen says that research has shown that stores do better when the name is unrelated to the products. She also wanted to keep an open mind as to the future direction of Jitterbugs.

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“I see all sorts of possibilities for this business over the next five years’,” she said. “What we have now is just a start.”

It has been a good start, however. Since opening on May 5th, Jitterbugs has been a magnet for people who have good quality items they no longer need, and people who are looking for quality at a good price.

Jitterbugs is more than a consignment store. Deb Baergen goes to auctions and picks up bargains, and is open to selling locally produced new items as well. The important thing is to for things to sell.

“It is a thrill for me when someone finds something they really want, at a really good price,” she said. “I’m not in the storage business, I mean to sell things.”

Jitterbugs is located in the former location of the Verona Dollar store next to Topper’s convenience store, and it is filled to the brim with furniture, clothing, books, small appliances, linens, and dishware. In the fall, Christmas baskets, candles, and gift bags will be added.

Starting next week, a coffee corner is being opened at the back of store, featuring Jitterbugs own blend of coffee beans, tea, and treats.

“The idea behind the coffee corner is to create a feeling of community, to bring back the General Store feel,” Baergen said.

In the longer term, there are lots of possibilities for Jitterbugs, and the possibility of moving the business to larger quarters is already on Deb Baergen’s mind.

She has worked in retail for many years, and is also a muralist, and she sees Jitterbugs as a creative endeavour that could lead in various directions.

“Truthfully, the idea for the store came into my head when I drove by the ‘For Rent’ sign in front of the building,” she said, “and the ideas for the business keep on developing. I don’t know where it will lead, but so far we have had a great response. The community has embraced us. I see great things happening in Verona in the future.”

Jitterbugs is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10-4, Thursday from 10-6, and Saturday from 9-3. Closed Sunday and Monday.

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