For nearly 30 years, The Antique Gallery of Lewisville has been operating in a building formerly operated by Kroger, General Manager Paul Burnett said.
Burnett has been there for roughly half of that time, which he said has provided him with perspective on an ever-evolving business.
“The society that we’re moving into right now—they tend to be a throwaway society,” Burnett said.
Burnett said he believes this is largely a generational mentality among younger adults, who he said often buy cheap furniture with the intent to throw it away at a later date. But once younger adults graduate from this mindset, they start to show more interest in the type of furniture and other items for sale at places like The Antique Gallery.
The Lewisville business is not a single store. It offers booths for roughly 120 vendors at any given time. These vendors usually each lease a small space from The Antique Gallery.
The result is a wide variety of items for sale from many small businesses. The model is also subject to a great deal of seasonal fluctuation in the vendor pool throughout the year, Burnett said.
Near the beginning of the pandemic, the business was forced to close due to restrictions intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus. But in the months after reopening, Burnett said the gallery saw a bigger-than-expected boost in sales. Burnett attributed this to some of the unique trends observed in his industry during economic recoveries.
“We had one of our better years for very specific reasons,” Burnett said. “When people are sitting at home, confined to their space, they may grow bored with what they see.”
