Nostalgia Vintage and Wellness is a new store in downtown Vermillion that sells vintage clothes, pressed juices and an experience, as owner Mattea Scott says. Nostalgia Vintage and Wellness opened its physical location on April 2, 2021. The store also has online shopping, though the website is currently under construction and they are instead selling from their Instagram page..
Scott is a Vermillion native who developed her store with Southern California in mind, inspired by her time there.
“I’ve just always loved the fact that in Southern California you can really be and do whatever you want without… I guess, judgment,” Scott said
The CEO of Nostalgia Vintage and Wellness, Angel Emelife, started the business with Scott, and has experience with thrift stores—she used to work in a Goodwill in the Twin Cities.
The vintage clothes are sourced from several different warehouses in California, but Scott is always looking to expand her reach, even to Europe eventually. Emelife said they try to bring six new items to the sales floor each day.
“If you go to Goodwill and places like that, you can find things but it’s a lot of searching, so we’re trying to pick out things and curate specific things that people want to see,” Scott said.
The process of starting a business is difficult, but Scott has faced additional challenges starting a business during the pandemic.
“It’s definitely been a journey, and in terms of like, when are we going to get the furniture in, or just inventory shopping, finding pieces to create like an eclectic aesthetic,” Scott said. “Working with everyone and their schedules. And I guess, kind of the background organization as well, business licenses, kind of, all of it.”
In addition to selling vintage clothing and wellness products, Nostalgia Vintage and Wellness also sells vinyl records, art and furniture. Although the downtown store is catered toward the younger generation, Scott said there is something for everyone in her store. During the summer she plans to focus on selling more furniture as well.
In the wellness section of the store, Nostalgia sells juice from the California company Pressed Juicery, as well as homemade body products. Emelife said they also would like to expand into teas, where customers can even create their own tea blend.
“It’s definitely seasonal though because we do have, like, for example vinyl and art is some thing that all generations can kind of agree on,” Scott said.
One couple who visited the store said they were most interested in the vinyl records and the wellness portion of the store.
“It’s being able to bring something to Vermillion, and picking out clothing and coming up with new ideas for future events and products and everything, we just want to bring something (to Vermillion) and have people be happy and excited and come in,” Scott said.
Nostalgia is open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
