A huge mural of neon pink flamingos marks the storefront of Flamingos Vintage Pound. Inside, customers can browse through endless racks of tie-dye, concert T-shirts and letterman jackets.
Flamingos received new student customers this summer after a TikTok, uploaded by influencer couple Tiffany Nguyen and Aaron Perez, featuring the storefront garnered half a million views.
“We were in complete shock,” Nguyen said. “We made a couple of videos before that, (and they) didn’t get nearly as many views.”
The Austin-based couple uploaded the TikTok on their travel account, @cloudatx, where they often share their favorite locations around Texas. After posting the TikTok, Flamingos owner Ashley Cooper invited the pair into the store to meet the staff and shop.
“I would say the staff is our favorite part about Flamingos because they are so welcoming,” Nguyen said.
Flamingos Vintage Pound is located on Guadalupe Street. Cooper said it has become a popular place for UT students to shop.
“We definitely have a big customer base that is UT students,” Cooper said. “Whenever it’s football season or any sports-related event is going on, people usually get their Longhorn gear from us.”
Exercise science senior Enebong Ephraim said Flamingos’ flashy exterior first caught his eye in the spring of 2018 when he was shopping across the street. Now, most of his burnt orange gear is from the shop.
“One of my favorite things about Flamingos is that they had an incredible amount of UT apparel, which was cheaper than any option outside of the store,” Ephraim said.
Ephraim also said he was drawn by their “price by pound” policy.
“I had never seen anything like it,” Ephraim said.
Flamingos sells apparel at about $7 to $10 per pound, which means customers are able to buy items in bulk for a lower price.
“We weigh everything out per pound,” Cooper said. “It’s been a really great thing for our
customers, and they really appreciate it.”
Cooper said apart from their location and marketing strategies, their apparel is what attracts customers to the store.
“We have a really great inventory, and sometimes we run across some unique pieces and have some super old vintage T-shirts,” Cooper said.
Flamingos is currently operating at 60% in-store capacity. Fitting rooms are closed and masks are required.
Overall, Ephraim said Flamingos’ location and prices offer an affordable and fashion-forward shopping option for students.
“They provide a much needed source of clothing … for most students who want a close location to buy new clothes that are good looking and very cheap,” Ephraim said.
