Revolution, a boutique and consignment store in White River Junction, has opened a location in Hanover behind Molly’s Restaurant and Bar.
Revolution sells “upcycled” accessories, handcrafted jewelry and new clothing that meets their “standards of sustainable production,” according to its website. Owner Kim Souza opened Revolution’s first location 10 miles away in White River Junction in 2002.
Souza said the “sheer volume of foot traffic in Hanover” motivated her to add a new location despite the proximity to their first location.
“People discover us by chance more often [in Hanover],” she said.
Souza said Revolution’s rotating merchandise sets the boutique apart, with people bringing new items for consignment “every single day.”
“The variety and the constant rotation of inventory makes [Revolution] the kind of place that you could come in on a Tuesday and find something really fun or nothing at all, but then you could come back on Thursday and you might find your dream outfit,” Souza said.
Building owner Marc Milowsky wrote in an email statement that having Revolution as a tenant was a “win-win situation.”
Souza “brings a new approach to retail that Hanover has never had,” he wrote. “It will complement the other retail tenants on Main Street.”
Revolution employee and Hanover resident Lucie Smiga-McManus said Revolution is a place to find “unique” pieces.
“Revolution is such an amazing place to find that really unique piece that you’re not going to see anyone else have, and it’s also a place where you can find amazing quality and really good brands for such a low price,” she said.
Savanna Degenhardt ’28, who recently visited Revolution, said she enjoyed the store.
“A lot of the store is very curated, which is pretty cool, especially if you’re someone like me who’s not very good at going through items of clothing and finding the hidden gems,” she said.
Degenhardt added that she thinks Revolution is “relatively” affordable.
“I thought it was really reasonably priced [for Hanover],” she said. “If you go there, you should probably expect to spend $68 on a sweater, which is kind of expensive, but it’s cheaper than many other options in town.”
The space was formerly occupied by Hanover boutique The Ivy Edit before the store relocated to a more visible space on Main Street.
Souza “has spent a great deal of time and effort transforming the space into a high energy environment that the students will embrace,” according to Milowsky.
According to Souza, the staff of Revolution has recently doubled with the opening of the new location.
“We have a super interesting, diverse mix of employees that are all bringing their own strengths to the operation,” Souza said.
Smiga-McManus said she enjoys interacting with customers at the store.
“I find that the connections I make and the interactions with our customer base are so meaningful and fulfilling,” Smiga-McManus said.
Souza said the Upper Valley entrepreneurs should “make [their] own fun and keep [profit] expectations low.”
“I have a baseline of what we need to generate for revenue that I think is realistic,” she said. “Someone like myself who does not have a lot of capital, that’s where DIY and the ‘get creative’ [attitude] comes in — we create something new rather than replicate.”
