Sanford opened the store a few weeks ago with her daughter and longtime Pippo’s employee Kami Phillips.
“I wanted something different, a change of pace, something we could do together,” said Sanford.
The new store, located at the intersection of N. Pinon Drive and U.S. Highway 491, features an assortment of used clothing for men, women and children and secondhand furniture items. The two say although its a secondhand store, they’re discerning about their inventory selection, and want to avoid the cramped, over-stocked feel of a thrift store. Crossroads also does consignment by appointment.
“We wanted to provide quality clothing for a decent price for this area,” said Phillips. “There are a lot of big families around here. When I went back to school shopping this year for my kid, I remember thinking ‘I don’t know how people afford all of this.’”
Working with family can be tough, but the mother-daughter duo says the decades of working together sets a good foundation for this new venture.
“She’s worked for me since she was 12, and we’ve had our ups and downs,” Sanford said with a laugh. “She used to quit once a week. But I think she’s learned working with family is nice.”
Although they have a new business, Sanford and Phillips are still working at Pippo’s and hope to convert loyal restaurant regulars to new Crossroads customers. The business is planning to put on a Black Friday buy-one, get-one special for shirts, and posts sales and updates regularly on its Facebook page.
Crossroads Used Clothing and Furniture is located at 201 N. Pinon Drive in Cortez and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
