ST THOMAS — Farmers market meets flea market where sustainability and community go in hand in hand! ReUse Emporium is a consignment store on St. Thomas that houses 10,000 square feet of treasures. This family-run business can be viewed as the first and last stop on a transient island, whether you’re looking for items in your new home or selling items you’re unable to take with you when you leave.
The slogan “reduce, reuse, recycle” is at the heart of ReUse Emporium. The original founder envisioned the store as a place where usable furniture, household goods, and other items could be saved from the island’s overflowing landfill and repurposed for anyone treasure hunting. Operating on consignment, anyone can be a seller here. From delicious chocolatey brownies and local duck eggs to jewelry made by local women and household plants groomed and grown by retirees, ReUse Emporium is a bazaar of treasures across two floors and three bays of a giant warehouse in Estate Bovoni.
Owners Meg Corry and Harsha Rebelly acquired the store from the previous owner in 2022 after she decided to retire to an off-the-grid farm in the Caribbean. For years, she searched for the right person to take over the store. “She wanted someone who loved the store as much as she did,” recalled Meg. “We volunteered at the store during my entire pregnancy, hauling heavy furniture in a 100-degree warehouse to put in the sweat equity to be the chosen buyers.” The husband-and-wife team moved to St. Thomas during the pandemic when Meg’s mom passed away. The island became their favorite place in the world; they moved here to start over after discovering that their family of two would soon become three! “We wanted our daughter to be born here in the safety of community and beauty of nature.” According to Meg and Harsha, the store always felt more like a community center than a store, which made them fall in love with it. Now in its 11th year of operation, ReUse Emporium has evolved into ReNew/ReUse Emporium. The community found within the store is just as valuable as the unique finds found within its walls. People from all walks of life become friends in the store. Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach is a weekly shopper and folks from other islands go here to buy houses full of furniture to ship home without the typical sales tax. Every Saturday morning at 9am, they put out free items for anyone in need such as appliances, furniture, and cooking supplies.
ReNew/ReUse Emporium is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm at 7350 Bovoni Center in Charlotte Amalie. If there is anything a person needs to buy or sell, they can text 340. 690.6545, and they will do everything they can to find it or market it! Visit their Facebook page to see their daily specials at www. facebook.com/reuseemporium.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com
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