Victoria Hall (left) with Anna Bimenyimana, are the managers of Bon Marché, a nonprofit thrift store newly opened on Riverside Drive.
Pam Winston/Sonoma Valley Sun
Shopping in second-hand stores is an adventure, one that’s even more fun when the place is off the beaten path. Bon Marché, a non-profit thrift store, is hidden in the rear of the former Nicholas Turkey building on Riverside Drive, but that doesn’t stop people from trekking back there in droves to search for bargains from pianos to paintings and clothing to chinaware.
The store opened in August of 2007 as a part of a non-profit organization, The Kigali Center for Entrepreneurs, based in Rwanda. The management team of Victoria Hall and Anna Bimenyimana conceived of the idea as an alternative to the model of using fundraising events and dinners to sustain a non-profit enterprise. “We were both interested in creating something that would directly benefit the community in Sonoma and that would also benefit women in Africa who are attempting to start a business,” said Bimenyimana. Both women originally came from corporate careers, Hall in event work and Bimenyiman in banking. “Taking our combined talents and interest in doing something meaningful – while also making a living – we developed the plans for the store and found a space to rent,” Hall said.
The location was appealing because of its industrial feel and “artsy” ambience. Friends donated the money for a deposit, and the store opened only weeks later. “We knew we had made the right decision when we first put our little ‘A’ frame sign out and within 20 minutes we had sold $100 worth of merchandise,” said Hall. The business took off and after several months of steady growth, they took over additional storage space at the complex, allowing them to accept more furniture and bigger items.
Bimenyimana previously owned A & B Import/Export on Eighth Street East, a company specializing in bulk purchases and sales of clothing that was in operation for five years until closing in March of 2007. A Rwanda native, she emigrated to Canada where she met her husband, also from Rwanda, and subsequently moved to Sonoma where he had lived for many years. Her experience with the used clothing market and her background in banking translated over to Bon Marche’s store setup and network of resources.
With a background in event planning, Hall’s skills in organization and planning have been applied to creating inventory systems and business processes. The partners work in tandem on store decisions and share strong beliefs about the nature of the business. “We want this store to be a resource for the people who need low-cost, quality clothing and household goods,” said Hall. “This is a true thrift store, where recycling is really practiced, with people passing along what they cannot use or don’t need to people who do need and appreciate it.”
As business continues to increase and the store gains a solid footing, the two women feel they have struck the right note in the Sonoma community, “This is a place that fills a need in Sonoma and also fulfills our personal goals,” said Bimenyimana. “We’re doing what we love – helping people. My mother tells me every day, ‘You’re doing what you were meant to be doing,’ and she’s right.”
19449 Riverside Dr. Ste. 102
707.933.9613
Open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.,
Sunday-Friday.
