Items get 'better every day' at new consignment store

On March 1, 10days before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic, Jennifer Morton started working on the old Payless building off Highway 10 to build her new consignment store: Better Every Day Consignment.

"We put it together pretty fast," Morton said in a phone interview on Monday, March 23.

Morton and her family moved back to the lakes area just over three years ago to be closer to family; she and her husband are from Park Rapids and Audubon, respectively. They previously were living in Thief River Falls, where Morton owned a consignment store for more than five years.

Since returning to the lakes area, Morton has been waiting for "the right time" to open up another consignment store, she said. When the Boys and Girls Club Thrift Store moved to its new location in the old Kmart building nearby, she decided it was now.

"The businesses really complement each other, so that was probably one of the biggest drivers was when they made their move," Morton said. "And just meeting so many different people here, and learning how supportive the community is, that kind of gave me the final push."

They opened the new business just over two weeks after closing on the old Payless building, on March 16. Choosing the name "Better Every Day Consignment" was an easy choice, as she's personally heard the "better every day" slogan for years.

"I've just heard over the years that everyone should try to be better every day," Morton said. "Our goal really is to get better and better. I just think it's a good goal for everyone to have, including our business."

Opening in the middle of fluid pandemic conditions made for a " definitely different" situation, Morton said, but she's found a way to work around it. Customers were still coming in, but just in lesser amounts, until the stay-at-home order by Gov. Tim Walz that closed her and many other businesses.

When Morton reopens, customers will be able to shop the store for shoes and clothing of all genders, home decor, tools, antiques/vintage items, and some furniture. Morton had about 40 consigners at the time of the interview, she said, and will be accepting more.

• What: Better Every Day Consignment
• Where: 1275 W. Highway 10, in what used to be the Payless shoes building
• Hours: Though the story is temporarily closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, its regular hours will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday, upon reopening.
• Online: www.facebook.com/Better-Every-Day-Consignments-105986114341279 and bettereverydayconsignments.com/ .