New 'high end' consignment store opens downtown
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 3 months AGO
Holly Behm and Crystal Donovan have opened Water and Woods in downtown Whitefish. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | April 4, 2017 3:49 PM
Woods and Water, a new consignment and apparel store, has opened in downtown Whitefish. The shop carries a mix of new apparel, accessories and shoes mixed with name brand consignment.
Owners Holly Behm and Crystal Donovan, owners of Big Mountain Thrift on U.S. Highway 93 South, recently decided to expand their business with a second similar store.
“We wanted to offer a higher end consignment — we have Patagonia, North Face, Sorell, Keen,” Donovan said. “We wanted to offer something different.”
“There was a need for a consignment shop,” Behm said. “This was a pretty good fit for downtown.”
Woods and Water is at the corner of Spokane Avenue and Railway Street in the former Chic Boutique consignment store location.
They currently have items for sale from about 30 cosigners including womens, mens and kids wear and shoes. They are also stocking new items from a number of Montana brands along with jewelry, soaps, lotions and artwork.
“We look for Montana, fair trade products,” Behm said. “We want to carry what people want.”
Among the products in the store, are Oakiewear kids rain boots, eco-friendly screen printed clothes from Zen Threads, art by Mandy Mohler, Jack Dewitt jewelry, and Dentit It by Dentit jewelry.
The name of the shop Woods and Water does describe much of the clothing in the store.
“There is a lot of things you can use or wear in the woods or water,” Donovan said.
Behm and Donovan opened Big Mountain Thrift just two years ago after years of searching for bargains themselves in thrift shops. They decided to open the store to honor their friend, Brett Thoft, who died in an airplane accident in December 2014. The women made a commitment to creating their business shortly after his death.
Big Mountain Thrift takes donations of clothing, household goods, shoes, furniture, bedding and toys. Much of their previous consignment at the thrift shop will now shift to Woods and Water.
The thrift shop has enjoyed success through word of mouth, but Behm and Crystal are excited to open a new shop in downtown.
“It’s interesting being here with so much foot traffic,” Behm said.
Woods and Water is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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