After spending more than a year tucked on the second floor of a downtown Bangor building, a vintage clothing shop will open in a new location on Friday.
Red Rabbit Bazaar, owned and operated by Cara Oleksyk, will open at 54 Columbia St. in Bangor. The store, which offers vintage clothing, footwear and accessories, was originally located on the second floor of 9 Central St., above The Grind House cafe.
The shop opened in November 2022 amid a wave of new vintage stores, including UniKue & OriJinals and White Lobster Vintage, arriving in downtown Bangor. UniKue & OriJinals has since closed, but White Lobster at 10 Harlow St. remains open.
Oleksyk said she believes shops like hers are becoming more popular and prevalent because consumers are realizing how wasteful the fashion industry is.
“It’s on us as consumers to get curious about how to make clothing last longer and repurpose it,” Oleksyk said. “So much of our clothing now is oil or plastic-based. Older clothing just lasts because of the construction and materials. They’re so well-made.”
Oleksyk said the large windows in the store’s previous location that peered over a busy downtown Bangor intersection helped attract attention. However, she knew she’d need to move eventually because the store didn’t have access to an elevator or chairlift.
“People who can’t use stairs could never come visit,” Oleksyk said. “On the first floor, people just have to walk in the door. They don’t have to get brave, go upstairs and find the place.”
Oleksyk also faced a 10 percent increase in her $2,000 per month rent at 9 Central St. She now pays $800 per month for the new location.
“This location opens up the possibility for more community engagement, and the more community engagement we have, the more sustainable we are as a business,” Oleksyk said.
Though the new location is set back from Main Street, Oleksyk said she has been surprised by how busy Columbia Street is. She also suspects new customers will continue to discover the shop when visiting long-standing businesses nearby, such as Harvest Moon Deli next door or 2 Feet Brewing down the street.
Red Rabbit Bazaar’s new space previously held Antiques Alley, opened in July 2019 by California native Glen Hudgens. The antiques market, which offered a wide array of antique furniture, books and decor, closed after Hudgens died of COVID-19 in January 2022.
Renovations took about two months and were done by community volunteers who demolished walls, ripped up the carpet, sanded the floors and more, all while Oleksyk kept the store open at its original location for as long as possible, she said.
Though the retail space on Columbia Street is slightly smaller than the previous location, Oleksyk has access to the basement, which she intends to use for storage and rent a portion to a local band to practice.
“Moving here allows me to share the space,” Oleksyk said. “It’s hard for artists and musicians to find a place for what they need that’s within their budget.”
In the coming months, Oleksyk plans to use the store as an event space to host artists and musicians.
As Oleksyk prepares to welcome new and former customers into the new space and restart some of the business’ regular events, like the monthly community clothing swaps, she said she hopes patrons remember to “buy what you love and leave the rest.”
“You don’t have to buy 20 items. If you find one piece that connects with you, take that one piece,” she said. “It’s more about the quality of the connection than the quantity of the shopping.”