Second Glance Annex opens in Corvallis

BY MICHAEL BOOTH

Corvallis GAZETTE-TIMES

When Nancy Kneisel decided she would try to replicate the success of her women's clothing consignment shop in Corvallis, she didn't realize that a location just around the corner from her Third Street store would be the perfect spot for the Second Glance Annex.

Kneisel and her daughter Jessica, who was a manager for Nordstrom in Salem, had first talked about testing out the Portland market.

"The rents were unbelievable," Kneisel said. "We started looking at other locations in the mid-valley."

Kneisel's next-door neighbor then told her he had a space to lease on Jefferson Avenue, just around the corner from the store she has owned for 24 years, Second Glance, at 312 S.W. Third Street.

The new location, at 214 S.W. Jefferson, needed some work. But Kneisel fell in love with the brick interior walls and almost signed a lease on the spot.

Jessica and her mother had been talking about an expansion for a few years. Although she had built a career at Nordstrom, managing departments in Texas, Georgia, Portland and Salem, her mother didn't have to talk her into the idea of leaving.

When Nancy Kneisel signed a three-year lease at the new location this month, Jessica came down to run the annex.

Instead of just expanding the existing store, Nancy and Jessica created an offshoot for teens and young women.

Everyday wear adorns much of the organized shelving and racks. Jeans, tops and accessories, including some new items, are the best-sellers. But there is also a year-round collection of designer prom dresses.

Jessica said the new store has been bustling with back-to-school shoppers ever since the annex opened on Aug. 15.

"I can't wait for the college kids to come back," she said.

The Kneisels are excited about their new store's success, both for personal reasons and community-building.

"Can you believe it?" asked Nancy Kneisel. "In this economy, we've opened a new store and hire four new employees."