New Owner Brings Affordable Fashion to Little Falls with Jenni’s Boutique

Little Falls has a new place to shop secondhand, and its owner says she is determined to make it more than just another thrift store.

Jenna Dillenbeck, known to most as Jenni, took over what was Second Chance Thrift earlier this year and has since rebranded it as Jenni’s Boutique.

The 27-year-old, who now lives in Little Falls with her three-year-old daughter, says the opportunity came together almost overnight.

Nick Bennet, the previous owner, texted a work group chat asking if anyone wanted to buy the store.

“He was like, I just want to be done with it, 500 bucks. To pay for the Square system, and you take everything – inventory, everything. I’m just gonna give it to you.”

Dillenbeck says she did not have the money on hand and had to call her boyfriend to ask for help covering the cost.

“I don’t have $500. Can I borrow some?”

He agreed, and the two decided to take the leap despite not knowing exactly what kind of inventory they were getting.

Before reopening the shop, Dillenbeck says she spent weeks sorting through everything already on the shelves, keeping only what she felt fit the store she wanted to build.

“Yes, it’s secondhand stuff, but I’m not going to be your average secondhand store. I want it to be more than that.”

That sorting process filled her grandmother’s Dodge Durango and her own car with clothing she chose not to keep. What remains, she says, is a curated selection of clean, name-brand pieces at prices meant to compete with the cost of driving out of town to shop.

“A lot of my stuff is like at least $12 and under, anywhere between 3 and $12. You can buy an entire outfit for 20 bucks, including shoes, here.”

Some higher-end or tagged items cost a bit more, and anything with visible wear or stains is marked down even further rather than pulled from the racks.

“If a working man needs some jeans or something else, they can come here and probably find something that they could use for work. And then you’re not spending and wasting your money on the full price.”

Dillenbeck grew up between Fort Plain, St. Johnsville and Little Falls before graduating from Fort Plain High School and eventually settling back in Little Falls three years ago. She says the decision to return and to open a business here came down to opportunity.

“There are more businesses here. There’s more opportunity in this town than there was in Fort Plain.”

She is currently studying medical coding and billing in college and working toward an associate’s degree in health information technology, but says entrepreneurship has always appealed to her more than working for someone else.

“I don’t like being told what to do. I can’t work for somebody. I don’t like working for other people. I like to do my own thing.”

Dillenbeck previously ran an online boutique selling custom tumblers and T-shirts, and she hopes to eventually bring that on-demand printing service into the physical store.

For now, she is focused on building out the shop’s clothing selection, with plans to eventually mix in new items alongside the secondhand stock.

“I got the used clothes, and I’m gonna integrate new stuff into it too, so that we can have the latest trends here as well. And it’s still going to be cheaper than probably going all the way out to Utica.”

Dillenbeck also runs a rotating set of daily deals to give customers a reason to stop in throughout the week. Mondays are for seniors, with 15 percent off for anyone 55 and older as well as high school seniors who show a valid school ID. Tuesdays are built around color, with that day’s featured color posted to Facebook the night before.

“If you come in wearing that color, you get 10% off your purchase, and if you spend $25 or more, you can get an additional 20% off, 30% off for wearing color and spending $25 plus.”

Wednesdays bring a buy-one-get-one deal on items Dillenbeck picks each week and announces on Facebook the day before, from kids’ clothing and adult summer wear to jeans or T-shirts.

Thursdays offer a percentage off a set spending threshold that also changes weekly, and Fridays reward bigger purchases with a free item.

“Spend $25 get one free $5 item, spend $35 get one $10 item free or two $5 items.”

Saturdays carry their own special deal, announced on Facebook each Friday night.

Jenni’s Boutique is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from roughly 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., though Saturday hours are subject to change. The shop is closed Sundays.

Dillenbeck currently runs the store alone while balancing school and family life.

Customers can reach the boutique through Facebook at Jenni’s Boutique or by email at jennysboutique247@gmail.com.

A business phone line is expected to be added soon.