JERSEYVILLE - Even under new ownership, Ruby and Ellie's Dollarama in Jerseyville retained its previous name, until two months ago.
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With the introduction of a Dollar Tree in Jerseyville, current owner, Brenda Hedgpeth, decided her shop, which has an inventory mostly composed of items as cheap as 98 cents, needed a bit of a re-branding. Hedgpeth said Jerseyville had enough dollar stores, and needed something a bit different. She added more items and has since changed the name to reflect that, now calling it Panther Land Variety.
"Haven't heard anything but good things from the name change," Hedgpeth said. "Jerseyville is big into Panthers. It's their home team."
Part of the variety in the store is Panthers attire. Hedgpeth has partnered with a company called My Town Originals, which provides her with merchandise supporting the Jersey Community School District through sales of clothing and items featuring the Panthers logo. Each purchase Hedgpeth makes from the distributor sees as much as seven percent donated to the school district.
Other changes include a wider selection of items, not all of which are priced at $1. Hedgpeth said items range from 98 cents to $10, while the majority are still cheap. More expensive items, which are still only around $10, include flower arrangements and oil lamps.
"We're changing stuff constantly," Hedgpeth added. "It depends on the season and what's on the market."
This holiday season, Panther Land Variety hopes to be more involved in Jerseyville's celebrations. Besides the year-round offering of various balloons, the store also offers affordable greeting cards and holiday-themed decorations.
Panther Land Variety will also be participating in this weekend's upcoming Jerseyville Downtown Country Christmas on Saturday, Nov. 25, and will have another Christmas-themed event on Saturday, Dec. 16 from 1-4 p.m. in which people are invited to come down and take a selfie with Santa Claus.
Panther Land Variety is located at 117 N State Street in Jerseyville. It can be reached at (618) 498-9099.
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