Story Photos
 Photo Christy Caballero / The Daily News Shop owner Leona Holland in the midst of her well stocked shop -n surrounded by Barbies, baby teethers, glitzy evening wear and blue jeans -n and that doesn’t even begin to cover the large inventory in the small space. The sweater she’s holding is a girl’s size 4, made by Storybook. ‘Storybook would be close to $50 in a lot of shops’ Holland said. ‘I’ve got these priced at $15.99.’ |
Rainier shop Noni's Necessities carries it all
Monday, September 10, 2007 6:52 AM PDT
By Christy Caballero / The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleRAINIER -- Open just one month, Noni’s Necessities has a wonderful assortment of this and that -- and a peppering of essentials you might have previously had to drive to Washington to find.
Shop owner Leona Holland had been looking for the right location to open in St. Helens and Scappoose "and nothing really suited me. We came here to go to the park with our granddaughter and saw the sign on the shop window and never called it," she said. "Then when I saw the ad in the paper later, I followed through.
"My whole initial thought process was to bring something back to Rainier."
Holland said her background of working in retail and community service most of her life was the springboard for launching the store.
"I feel that it’s not just for me, it’s for everyone. I’m a giving person. I’m trying to keep the prices low in my store for the community, that was my original focus."
Noni’s carries clothing, jewelry, toys, children’s clothes, accessories, sunglasses, “just a fun little shop with a little bit of everything, because it isn’t very big.”
Holland, whose husband of 30 years helped her set up shop, said she’d like the business to grow eventually. “First I need people to know I’m here, and if they need something I carry, they might not need to drive across the bridge to Longview."
Need toys in a hurry? Barbies, Madagascar figures, My Little Pony or remote control cars and robots -n they’re all on the shelves with a lot of other candidates in between.
Right now the "shoe department" is mostly baby shoes and pretty flip-flops, but she hopes that can expand, too.
There is a modest assortment of makeup, fragrant candles, and for the shopper who already has everything else n sandcastle mold buckets.
"I had a blast going to market,” Holland said. “I love getting unique things."
Designer type blouses hang along the wall. Brands include Liz Claiborne, Alfani, Evan Picone and many more.
"These run about $50” at larger department stores, she said. "Most of my merchandise is priced below retail. My intent was to come in here and make it affordable for people."
One Alfani 100% pure silk black shell was priced at $15. Xess jeans that retail for $79 are priced at $35. Old Navy T-shirts have been going out the door.
"I really want people to know -n all my merchandise is new; we’re definitely not a secondhand store."
Besides women’s clothing (including jeans in plus sizes) the shop also carries fun leggings, cute girls clothes including brands like Storybook, an assortment of men’s shirts and pants, including cords by Dockers, IZOD and Club Room, and dress slacks by Calvin Klein and Liz Claiborne.
Return customer Debi Borgstrom of Clatskanie said: "I just love it here. I think it’s something Rainier really needed -n and the pricing is so good!"
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