The dream of owning their own business finally came true for Garry and Renae Gibbs when they opened The Thrifty Shopper in Cape Girardeau.

Located at 470 S. Kingshighway, The Thrifty Shopper is a consignment store that has experienced a thriving first few months.

Since its opening in February, the store has continued to grow, according to Renae Gibbs.

"So far, it has been successful," she said. "And I think it will continue to be. I think it will continue to grow."

One reason Mrs. Gibbs offers for the prosperity of the business is its policy regarding merchandise.

"We take only good, clean, up-to-date merchandise," she said. "We throw away anything that is stained, broken, torn or not in good, working condition.

"We keep our store clean and looking nice because we want to be known as a store that sells nice things at reasonable prices. Our customers are the `thrifty shoppers.'"

A wide selection of goods is also a contributing factor to the franchise's success. "We probably have one of everything ever made," Mrs. Gibbs said. "Everything from A to Z."

Some of the things available at the store include clothes, appliances, furniture, car stereos, tools, exercise equipment, and miscellaneous household items.

"We've sold a fishing boat and trailer, a jon boat, a car, a truck and a flashing arrow sign," Mrs. Gibbs said.

A positive attitude toward customers also helps keep the business in the black. Mrs. Gibbs said, "We just try to make people happy and we usually do."

The store offers a three-day return policy, two-week layaway and will hold things for two or three days for customers. Beginning soon, The Thrifty Shopper will take MasterCard and Visa.

The store works like most consignment stores. "You bring your things in," Mrs. Gibbs said. "Then we price it, unless you want a specific price for a larger item. In that case, we'll do our best to get that price for you."

For items $25 and under, the store and consignee split the money 50-50. For items priced from $25 to $100, the store keeps 40 percent. The store keeps 30 percent of the price of items costing over $100.

Consignees must sign a contract agreeing to these and other terms before the merchandise will be accepted by The Thrifty Shopper. The store currently has over 400 consignees, according to Mrs. Gibbs.

Mrs. Gibbs said they keep the merchandise at full price for about 10-12 weeks. Then the price is marked down 20 percent for about two weeks. If the item is still not purchased, the price is cut in half. "By then it's usually gone," she said. "But we don't take anything off the rack and throw it away just because it didn't sell."

The Thrifty Shopper employs one full-time worker. Cheryl Birk is the assistant manager.

Mrs. Gibbs and her husband are from Scott City and recently moved back after his job with the railroad took them and their son to Wyoming.

"This is our first business," said Mrs. Gibbs, who is a former teacher. "We have always wanted to own a business and we have always wanted to come back home to live, so we did it. We got it opened together and now I run the store."