Bulletin E-Edition:
Hip threads to the rescue
Opened in Bend 2 months ago, Urban Hero offers used clothing for the young and trendy
By David Holley / The Bulletin
Published: December 01. 2009 4:00AM PST| order photo
Robin Taylor opened her used-clothing store, Urban Hero, in October, along with her brother Simon. Like the clothing, many elements in the store are used items, including the counter, made of two doors.
Rob Kerr / The Bulletin
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Only three months ago, siblings Robin and Simon Taylor were two unemployed college graduates looking for work.
Then, in September, they had an epiphany.
“If we can’t find jobs, we’ll create our own,” Robin Taylor said.
On Oct. 1, the Taylors opened Urban Hero, a used-clothing store geared toward teenagers and college students. Located at 223 N.W. Hill St. on the corner of Hill Street and Florida Avenue in Bend, the store carries some of the biggest name brands as well as other, unique apparel.
Although Bend has its fair share of used-clothing stores, Robin Taylor said she never found one that targets the youth market. So the siblings decided to open the store in the vein of other well-known, trendy consignment shops, such as Buffalo Exchange.
“We’re not high fashion, but we’re higher-end,” said Taylor, 24. “We want to kind of push the envelope between your kind of funky trend and what everyone wears.”
After operating for two months, Taylor said word of the store is spreading. Marketing to teens can be tough, but she said other local stores have been helpful by sending customers to Urban Hero.
The store currently has a full inventory of both men’s and women’s clothing, so the Taylors are not buying anything until after Christmas. When they begin buying again, Robin Taylor said, people can receive either store credit or cash — you get a higher value if you take the in-store credit, however.
A 2007 graduate of George Fox University, Taylor is running the store on her own for the time being. Her business partner and brother, Simon, a 22-year-old who graduated from the University of Oregon this year, left last week for Honduras for an indeterminate amount of time.
The pressure of running a shop alone hasn’t overloaded Robin Taylor, who received a business degree from George Fox. Although she said opening a new store in this dim economy is scary, she’s learning and gaining more experience every day.
Interestingly, Taylor said she’s not necessarily fashion-oriented. But that’s where the business degree kicks in. “I just delegate,” she said. “I surround myself with people who know what they’re talking about.”
To draw in customers, Robin and Simon Taylor use their best business savvy, such as daily rotating sales among the store’s various inventory, highlighting jeans for 30 percent off one day and sweaters for the same mark-down the next.
And they plan to host an open house at the store on Dec. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m., with live music, food and drinks. If people bring a canned food item to the event, they’ll earn 20 percent off anything in the store.
Robin Taylor said they’re donating all the food to the Salvation Army. They’ll also be raffling off an iPod Touch, and half of the proceeds will go to the Salvation Army.
Both Robin and Simon Taylor are graduates of Mountain View High School. Robin’s name has landed in the pages of The Bulletin before: She played basketball for Mountain View High, and was recruited to play at George Fox.
Taylor said she loves Bend for the outdoor activities and lifestyle. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” she said.
There’s one other quasi-business partner in the store: Peter Taylor, the siblings’ father, who fronted them the money to open it.
“A lot of these young kids, they come out of school and there’s nothing there,” said Peter Taylor, who is a real estate developer. “I think we’re going to have to keep hammering away one step at a time. If you can get all cylinders cooking there, I think you can make money.”
Their father’s investment helped the siblings pay to rent the space, located next to Taco Stand, as well as buy the inventory. Like the clothing, the fixtures and most other aspects of the store are used and add to its artistic charm.
Urban Hero sells a small amount of art, as well as a few locally made items, such as jewelry.
Robin Taylor said those who have shopped at Urban Hero have responded positively. Her goal is to keep most items, unless it’s an expensive brand, between $8 and $12.
“When the high schoolers do come in ... they love what they find. We know that the inventory we have is appealing to kids,” she said. “You come in and you look for deals, you look for treasures.”
Taylor answered other questions about starting her own business in an interview with The Bulletin.
Q: What was the hardest part of opening?
A: It was actually really easy. We found everything really cheap. It took us two weeks to turn around. Opening the doors was easy.
Q: How did you determine what kind of clothing you wanted to sell?
A: Bend has a lot of thrift stores already that don’t target teens and college-age kids. Here, they have a whole store to look through. There’s three high schools — four if you count Marshall — plus the community college. We knew there is a good youth base here in Bend, so we’re banking on that.
Q: Before you opened, did you discuss with other store owners how they operate?
A: I didn’t talk to them, but I checked out their stores. As soon as I opened up, they came down and introduced themselves. They all want to send people our way, and I send people their way.
Q: How did you pick the name Urban Hero?
A: We wanted people to equate it to the kind of style we were going for: a young, trendy, hip style. We wanted our logo to represent our style. We’re not saving people, we’re providing people with cheap clothing or cash.
Q: Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night because you’re worried about the business?
A: I’m grateful for the opportunity to run my own business, but it is also scary in this time. It’s always on my mind. I’m constantly thinking of how to make it better. I’m determined to make it work. Even if I don’t make a single dollar, I’m learning for the next adventure. But I hope to make a few bucks.
David Holley can be reached at 541-383-0323 or at dholley@bendbulletin.com.
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