Rumors: Chapel Hill’s Thrift Boutique

Rumors is “like my dream job. I want to work here until I die,” said employee Anna Mitchell, “I wake up every morning looking forward to work.”

Rumors has been a local favorite since opening in the fall of 2013. Located on N. Graham Street near Beer Study and Al’s Burger Shack, this thrift boutique is in a prime location to attract Chapel Hill students and residents.

Best friends Casey Longyear and Marshe Wyche opened their first Rumors store in Richmond, Virginia in 2007 with no investors after saving up by sharing a room and living off of white rice. It started as a boutique for locally crafted items and international clothing products, but over time developed into the thrift boutique it is today.

Both Casey and Marshe grew up thrifting and wanted to share that passion with their Richmond community. Their success with providing affordable, trendy clothing to their local community allowed them to further develop their small business. Just six years after opening their Richmond store, they were able to open another. The Rumors in Chapel Hill opened in September of 2013 and caters mostly to the youth and college students in the area.

Employees and customers love the overall vibe. The mood lighting, wall decor, and cool music all contribute to the store’s lively, fun atmosphere. Rumors employees describe the store’s overall style as “eclectic” and very “individual” with clothing coming from various different sources. Like most thrift shops, many items are brought in by local residents in exchange for cash or store credit.

One thing that makes Rumors special, however, is the unique items that are hand-picked from places like Las Vegas, Colorado, Miami, and California by employees and buyers. Some of the store’s clothes are also bought wholesale from popular vendors like American Apparel. Along with these specially hand-picked and wholesale items, local vendors like Cosmic Circle and Actual Teen also sell their clothing and jewelry through the store.

Local vendors and community involvement have been important facets of Rumors since its beginning in Richmond and has continued with the Chapel Hill location. Along with selling jewelry and clothing created locally, they also sell artwork by artists in the area. They support the community in many other ways as well, including donating clothing and money to local nonprofits and other organizations like the Orange County Animal Shelter.

“It’s been cool to see this place grow,” said Leah, an employee who’s been with Rumors since it opened in Chapel Hill. Not only has the Chapel Hill store grown and improved over time, but Casey and Marshe have also been able to open another store in Miami.

 

Visit their website | Instagram | Soundcloud