To celebrate their 50th year on Main St these two businesses got a face lift to prepare for the next 50
A ribbon cutting was held on December 3 to mark the re-opening and renovation of several stores in Bluffton’s Main Street. This marked the beginning of a new era for Et Cetera, Inc, which has been celebrating their 50th Anniversary in 2024. Et Cetera, Inc. is the non-profit which owns the Et Cetera Shop, Book Reviews, and Ten Thousand Villages. The proceeds from Book Reviews and the Et Cetera Shop go to relief and development work around the world through the international organization called Mennonite Central Committee. Ten Thousand Villages has a different approach to addressing poverty. This store provides a market for artisans in the poorest parts of the world to sell items for a fair price to better their lives.
Ten Thousand Villages received a new floor in 2024, bright new lighting, new paint, new signs and a new awning with several of the products they sell clearly specified. In the renovation process they discovered an exciting surprise. Beth Boehr painted a beautiful mural on the wall in 2000, which had been covered up with drywall. Boehr’s mural shows a map marking the country of origin of many of their products, along with pictures showing the diversity of artisans who benefit from the sales of Ten Thousand Villages. The mural has now been restored for future shoppers to enjoy.
Book Reviews reorganized their processes and shelving for maximum efficiency. They got a new check out counter, new back room floor and kitchenette, and renovated the bathroom and processing area. Volunteers also painted the space with a new color scheme. Artist Carolyn Hodges created a mural showing the fantasy world of books. Book Reviews re-sold 26,700 books in 2024 alone.
In 2018 Et Cetera Shop purchased the old glove factory on Main Street Bluffton. Over the next 12-14 months, the thrift store got a major upgrade, offering its customers a large boutique-style shopping experience. The renovation cost a total of $750,000. In 2024 the capital campaign committee raised over eighty thousand dollars to renovate the two remaining stores.
Holiday shopping at the three storefronts of Et Cetera, Inc. have the unique feature of being “gifts that give twice.” Once for charity and once for the loved one who receives the present. Consider shopping fair trade and thrift for your Christmas list this year.
Download photos of the murals and the ribbon cuttings here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TmV0lAIpLTlYEOXvB5hd0vBU2t2rSgui?usp=sharing
