New life for old treasures: Clarks Summit couple opens thrift store in Scranton

SCRANTON — A Clarks Summit couple opened a thrift store on 702 East Market Street. It’s called Khlovans Thrift. The store’s title is a combination of the owners’ names Kavan Hughes and his girlfriend Chloe Conway.

The store’s merchandise is mostly clothing as well as accessories, houseware, and decorations. People bring in items, which they don’t wear or use anymore, from their houses to this store.

“Instead of throwing it in the garbage, they instead would bring it here in hopes that it would find a new life,” said Kavan. “We don’t throw anything away even so if it is brought here, it will be here until it finds a home.”

There are items in the basement including books and glassware. The basement has a dressing room. The most popular items currently are $10 winter jackets and $5 T-shirts.

The main focus of Khlovans Thrift is to finding new homes for donated items.

“I just always loved finding something that was loved by somebody else before,” said Kavan. “It felt really nice and fulfilling to find new homes for these things.”

Kavan feels that owning the store is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“We’re very grateful not only for owning our own store but the fact that the store is what it is and we get to do what we do and help save the Earth even if it’s just a little bit or a lot,” he said. “It is also fun to have the creative freedom with things just in the store itself. It’s a definitely fulfilling job.”

Chloe enjoys getting to socialize with the people who walk in the store.

“I really like getting to talk to customers and the locals that live around,” she said. “Even a little relationship with those that come in, it’s real nice.”

Linens and blankets will hopefully soon be added to the merchandise.