New thrift store aims to fill retail void left by closure of Family Dollar in south Jackson

For most of the summer, the former Family Dollar on Terry Road in south Jackson has sat vacant, leaving people in the community with fewer convenient options for everyday necessities. 

Family Dollar’s shutdown in May is part of a recurrent theme of business closures in the capital city in recent years, with south and west Jackson hit the hardest. 

Now, over 41,000 pounds of clothing fill the store’s back room, visible through the glass doors of the storefront.

The mountain of clothing is part of what Niyah Sessom and George Roethemeyer have been working toward — a new secondhand goods store named Mega Thrift.

The store will sit adjacent to Roses, a regional discount store, in the Roses Plaza in southwest Jackson. Owned by Nashville-based Brookwood Capital Advisors, the plaza has undergone renovations the past two years. 

According to company founder Ben Hamd, $900,000 has been put into the plaza and the July opening of the Roses. The parking lot also hosts a flea market on weekends — an effort to turn the space into a community hub, Hamd said.

Renovations are currently underway to prepare Mega Thrift for an opening no later than Oct. 1, according to Roethemeyer, who serves as the store’s property manager. To keep the community informed of their progress, the store posts “A Day in the Life” videos on social media. 

“You’re really seeing a sense of community emerge online, and I think that’s going to translate to a real world community where people want to get involved with something like this,” Hamd said.

The store’s pricing model is what stands out. Most items are marked below $5, with clothing costing customers $1.79. Those who donate items get a 50% discount on their next purchase.

“We don’t cherry-pick our inventory,” Sessom said. “So whatever we get, we put out there.” 

After Family Dollar closed its doors, Hamd said Brookwood Capital attempted to lease the building to grocery chains, but was unsuccessful.

“In a perfect world I would have loved to put a grocery store, because I think it’s needed in southwest Jackson,” Hamd said. “But this is the next best thing.”

The lack of options continues to leave south and west Jacksonians without access to food unless they travel to other local communities. 

“Even though it’s a thrift store, it could be the beginning for other types of stores,” said Johnny Byrd, the vice president of the Association of South Jackson Neighborhoods. 

He said the new thrift shop could help keep “bad actors” out of the area.

Ward 7 City Councilmember Kevin Parkinson and Ward 6 Councilmember Lashia Brown-Thomas, who represent swaths of south Jackson, have voiced their frustrations about the recurrent closures in the area, telling Mississippi Today in May that they had met with several groups who were planning projects in the area. 

Parkinson said the area still has potential for development as residents want to support more local businesses. 

“They’re tired of going to Byram,” Parkinson said. “They want Jackson options and I think they deserve Jackson options.”