By Greg Ellison

(Aug. 13, 2020) Hoping to turn inflated costs to a net positive, the owners of JDog Junk Removal and Hauling have launched the GI Jane’s Resale shop in the Manklin Meadows Shopping Center in Ocean Pines.

Paul and Carol Vaillancourt, both members of the Army National Guard, opened an Eastern Shore-based JDog Junk Removal franchise in November 2019.

“We were doing residential and commercial junk removal and then we expanded into dumpster rentals,” Carol Vaillancourt said.

The Vaillancourts, along with eight-year-old daughter Isabella, relocated to Ocean Pines from Wisconsin in 2019 partly because Carol’s sister lives in Ocean Pines.

The couple’s business venture got off to a quick start last year with JDog thriving before the onset of the covid-19 pandemic.

“One of the main tenets of our business model is to recycle, reuse and repurpose as much as we possibly can,” she said. “Obviously, we want to be good stewards of our environment but also we have a lot of overhead.”

Principal among the expenses are landfill-tipping fees.

Before the state’s coronavirus restrictions  limited social interactions, the JDog proprietors worked with area nonprofits, such as Diakonia and the Coastal Hospice Thrift Store, to reduce the volume earmarked for the Worcester County Landfill.

“Donating helps us keep things out of the dump to keep our junk removal a little more affordable for our customers and also gets things into the hands of people in need,” she said.

Since March, when retail operations were largely shuttered throughout Maryland, the ability to donate items became significantly reduced.

“Our dump fees tripled,” she said.

In addition to hauling inquiries plunging, the couple realized that without an outlet for a percentage of their materials, profit margins would not be sustainable.

“We can’t just throw everything away in the dump because it doesn’t match with my business model,” she said. “It goes against my integrity and it’s just going to drive our costs through the roof.”

In short order, the Vaillancourts hatched an expansion plan after discovering affordable retail space.

“I found this retail spot that was affordable and we immediately filled it right up with the items that were reusable,” she said.

Last month the Army veterans opened GI Jane’s Resale, located next door to the Sweet Shack in the Manklin Meadows Shopping Center in Ocean Pines.

“Our main mission with the shop is not necessarily to generate a huge profit,” she said. “Our prices are very low compared to what you’ll find in other resale shops.”

Although the principal financial goal for opening GI Jane’s was covering overhead costs, wages, insurance and assorted expenses, the motivation goes beyond fiscal matters.

“Really we’re trying to preserve the environment by getting stuff out of the landfill and saving our costs on our junk removal business,” she said.

The new retail venture is intended to keep hauling price points within reason.

“We would almost price ourselves right out of business because if we have to raise our price to cover the cost of throwing everything in a landfill it might not be as affordable of a service,” she said.

The average consumer typically fails to understand the financial impact of increased dumping fees.

“They say, ‘Well, it’s only going to take you 10 minutes to remove the item,’” she said. “What they don’t see is the 30-minute drive to and from the landfill, the cost of the landfill, the insurance, the truck and employees … there’s a lot there.”

Filling the nearly 1,000 square feet of retail space after finalizing lease terms on July 1 proved easy.

“We filled it up the first day,” she said. “We could fill the store up every week even if it emptied out every week.”

Since opening last month, the shop has operated from Thursday-Saturday between 10a.m.-3 p.m.

“I know a lot of people want us to have expanded hours, but we just don’t have the staff capability at this point, so we’re kind of on yard sale hours,” she said.

In addition to the regular retail schedule, consumers have also been able to peruse items at GI Jane’s Resale via social media.

“What I do when I get new stuff in is post a lot of on Facebook,” she said. “We’ve already developed a pretty decent Facebook following.”

Living near the retail store also lends some flexibility for customer service.

“People have showed up at the shop and they’re standing outside the door,” she said. “They call me and I’m like, ‘OK, I can be there in five minutes.’”

The sneak peeks of stock available on GI Jane’s Facebook page and Facebook marketplace is critical during the health crisis.

“It’s nice because with the social distancing you can’t have the store packed with people anyhow,” she said.

To learn more about items available at GI Jane’s call 410-881-5364 or search for the GI Jane’s Resale on Facebook. JDog Hauling, which serves the entire Delmarva Peninsula, can be contacted at 844-GET-JDOG.

GI Jane’s Resale shop in the Manklin Meadows Shopping Center

.