Stuff Etc Iowa City opens in new spot, not far from former location

Stuff Etc Iowa City opens in new spot, not far from former location

The new Stuff Etc consignment shop has opened, less than 1,000 feet from its original location in eastern Iowa City.

Jody Hagerty, marketing director for Stuff Etc Quality Consignment, said the location opened on Jan. 24 at 851 Highway 6 E Suite 103. It represents the latest business to open in the former Iowa City Kmart location.

The new location is roughly the same square-footage as the former location, Hagerty said, but “the layout is much better for us.”

“We like the visibility a little bit better, we’re not necessarily back in the corner of the little mall there, but we’re out front and next to Planet 3,” Hagerty said.

The shopping centers that held the former and new Stuff Etc locations have been in a dramatic retail flux the last few years.

In September of 2017, the Iowa City Kmart at 851 Highway 6 East closed. Struggling Sears Holding, which owned Kmart and Sears, announced earlier in 2017 that it would close 150 stores, most of which were Kmart locations. Those closed included Kmart stores in Dubuque, Sioux City and Waterloo.

In June of last year, it was announced that three businesses would be taking over the former 25,000 square-foot Kmart location: Stuff Etc., Planet 3 Extreme Air Park and Crowded Closet. The property had been sold from SouthGate Companies to GRD Pepperwood LLC. Then portions of the building were sold to Crowded Closet and Stuff Etc. The remaining space was leased to Planet 3.

Planet 3 and its 15,000 square feet of interconnected trampolines opened in late December. It sits in the middle of Stuff Etc.’s new location, on the eastern edge of the building. Crowded Closet’s future home, which is expected to open in the next month or two, is on the western edge.

Also in June, Parkview Evangelical Church purchased the 58,420 square-foot building that had housed Stuff Etc.’s Iowa City location and other businesses. The church had been hosting its Faith Academy and services in the part of the building that faced towards Cross Park Ave. The church had been in the space for 15 years before making the $3.5 million purchase.

Church leaders Doug Fern and Dough Schillinger told the Press-Citizen in November that the purchase allowed them to expand the church’s school while also creating an entrance facing heavily trafficked Highway 6. The church will expand its worship area into what had been Stuff Etc.

The church is expected to reconfigure the front entrance, which still has Stuff Etc. signage, with a building project this summer.

The new Stuff Etc. space looks largely different from its former location. Instead of being shaped like an upside-down “V” like the other location, the new space is one large rectangle, with aisles stretching on for dozens of feet. Clothes and changing rooms are located near the rear of the space, with books near the front.

Despite the new look and layout of the location, Hagerty said that there were no major changes to the store from the old space.
“We’re still taking consignments the same way. We are just able to merchandise and showcase our consignment stuff a little bit better in this location,” she said.

Hours will be the same, the selection will be the same, Hagerty said, and the consignment shop will celebrate its 34th anniversary this April.

Stuff Etc. started as Iowa City’s Kids Stuff and Kountry Kreations in 1985. It moved to the location that is now owned by Parkview in the early 1990s. They opened the Coralville location in 2000. Now, they have locations in Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Davenport, Ankeny and Clive.

Reach Zach Berg at 319-887-5412, z[email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @ZacharyBerg.