Marcia Pledger: Why Viktor's Payless and Grocery continues to thrive on Jacksonville's Westside

The first time some customers discovered Viktor’s Payless and Grocery was when the pandemic hit two years ago and owner Viktor Gjergji had plenty of supplies on the Jacksonville's Westside that were scarce in other places.

Advertisements might have lured new customers there, but what they couldn’t have expected to find was an entire strip shopping center filled with all sorts of discounted merchandise ranging from clothes and nonperishable groceries to furniture and mattresses.

Gjergji is considered an accidental entrepreneur. He used to work for someone who sold discounted merchandise at 6612 San Juan Avenue. But more than a decade ago, when the former owner walked away from the business, Gjergji took over.

The first thing that he did was to start filling the empty space after the former owner sold everything. Gjergji started purchasing goods from government auctions and seizures, unclaimed freight and overstocks from other retailers. He now buys from wholesale liquidators nationwide, as well as returns from retailers like Wayfair, Costco, BJ’s and Walmart.

“Of course we felt the impact of the pandemic,” he said. “But we weren’t affected as bad as some businesses because we’re a one-stop shop that offers something for everyone.”

“We have customers that range from people who have a low income to judges, lawyers, and business people that include millionaires,” he said, noting that his goal is to serve everyone, whether it's a struggling college student or high-net worth homeowner.

Gjergji's businesses are among those that had only a brief lull in business due to the pandemic. With signs that say “$9.98 all clothes,” and items that range from cleaning supplies, diapers and beauty products to massage chairs, sinks and designer-brand furniture and rugs, it’s easy to see why Gjergji confidently says that people from all walks of life are able to find something that fits their needs.

It’s hard to imagine that Gjergji is among a surprising number of accidental entrepreneurs. Most entrepreneurs will tell you that starting a business is something they always felt destined to do. But that’s not the case for people like Gjergji who can be found among the ranks of the self-employed.

A third of business owners never planned on starting their own company, according to a study of entrepreneurs by The Recruit Venture Group. And despite challenges like raising money and finding customers, only 1 percent regret their decision, and 12 percent said they wish they’d started their business sooner.

Gjergji said he grew up in Albania, a communist and brutal regime. In his early 20s, he was part of a student revolution and escaped to Yugoslavia where he lived in a refugee camp for nearly two years.

"I was granted political asylum and sponsored by Lutheran Services. That's how I moved to Jacksonville in 1991," he said. "It's the reason I support that organization to this day. I also support other nonprofits because it's important to help organizations that help others. You have to give back."

While most people don't know his reasons for getting into the business, several customers recently said they've shopped at the location for years because it's a neighborhood business with lots of variety.

Tewanna Witsell, who lives near Viktor’s, said she stops by Gjergji's three stores frequently because inventory changes constantly and she never knows what’s going to be there.

“I’ve bought several pieces from here, including high-end sofas and mattresses. Viktor’s has great stuff and you never know what’s going to be here. Inventory changes all of the time," she said. "When I’m looking for something in particular I stop by once a week, and I grab a snack on the way out of the door.”

Gjergji said he enjoys passing on discounts to consumers, but he also takes pride in helping nonprofits like homeless shelters and churches.

It's a place where you just don't know what you'll find because the items are so diverse.

"I never know what I'm going to get, because I buy a lot of things in bulk," he said while opening a box filled with Lysol wipes in a backroom of the grocery area.

"Most of the time we don't even know what's in containers that include furniture. I never know what's coming. That's what makes this business so unique and interesting."

But he said that he takes pride in offering high-end furniture and brands that include Drexel, Barclay Butera, Pulasky and Collezione-Europa.

"Not everyone can afford to buy fine furniture," he said. "But they can here, because we sell it for a fraction of what it costs at retail."

The strip shopping center is about 60,000 square-feet, Gjergji said. He started out with one small area but continually added on, most recently taking over a space formerly occupied by Family Dollar. The strip center has three stores, including Viktor's Payless Salvage and Furniture, and Viktor's Liquidation.

Samantha Wallace, 50, owner of Wallace Roofing, said she's lived in the Lakeshore Hyde Park area her entire life, and she appreciates Viktor's offerings.

"Why pay so much more for the same thing that's marked up at a furniture store or a big box retail store," Wallace said. "Why pay retail? I’m all about the sale."

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Marcia Pledger: Why Viktor's Payless and Grocery excelled in the pandemic