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Geneva, IL —
Jan Rooney is having the best season yet when it comes at her downtown Geneva consignment shop, Anew.
It’s prom season, and many of her regular customers shopped for dresses at her store before Geneva High School had its prom last month. She was also busy in the weeks leading to Batavia High School prom, which happens this weekend.
“This is my third year with prom, and it’s definitely increasing every year,” Rooney said. “This year has been the best.”
She’s sold dresses, shoes and jewelry that ranges from $50 to $250, leading to sales that were about 50 percent higher than last year’s prom season. Part of the reason, she said, is the economy. But she thinks it’s mostly because of word-of-mouth.
Rooney’s managed to succeed, even though she opened in 2009, a year when the city of Geneva collected about $1 million less in sales taxes than it did three years earlier.
“I opened during the height of the recession, so I might as well keep diving in head first,” Rooney said.
But Rooney is not the only consignment shop owner who seems to be doing well in the rough economy. The manager at downtown’s Hi-Hat Resale shop, Judy Ritter, reported that sales are up 30 percent over last year, and two new consignment shops opened in the city in the past year — Plato’s Closet and Jane Pabon Consignment Boutique.
“I know that Hi-Hat has been doing very well,” said Heather Cunningham, who’s with the public relations staff at Delnor Community Hospital, which owns Hi-Hat. “Discretionary income is down and people are trying to stretch their dollars.”
The city council began recognizing a change in market trends as shoppers began looking for more bargains and passed an ordinance last year that allows consignment shops, at least high-end ones, in the Third Street business corridor for the first time. That cleared the way for Jane Pabon to open her boutique on Third Street.
“We have to cater to the demands of the market,” Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns said.
Meanwhile, Community Development Director Dick Untch believes the commercial landscape will change as the suburbs emerge from the recession. He believes there will be less emphasis on strip malls and big-box retailers and more people will return to neighborhood shops, such as consignment shops. Untch feels downtown Geneva can thrive because of its niche stores and unique items.
Jan Rooney is having the best season yet when it comes at her downtown Geneva consignment shop, Anew.
It’s prom season, and many of her regular customers shopped for dresses at her store before Geneva High School had its prom last month. She was also busy in the weeks leading to Batavia High School prom, which happens this weekend.
“This is my third year with prom, and it’s definitely increasing every year,” Rooney said. “This year has been the best.”
She’s sold dresses, shoes and jewelry that ranges from $50 to $250, leading to sales that were about 50 percent higher than last year’s prom season. Part of the reason, she said, is the economy. But she thinks it’s mostly because of word-of-mouth.
Rooney’s managed to succeed, even though she opened in 2009, a year when the city of Geneva collected about $1 million less in sales taxes than it did three years earlier.
“I opened during the height of the recession, so I might as well keep diving in head first,” Rooney said.
But Rooney is not the only consignment shop owner who seems to be doing well in the rough economy. The manager at downtown’s Hi-Hat Resale shop, Judy Ritter, reported that sales are up 30 percent over last year, and two new consignment shops opened in the city in the past year — Plato’s Closet and Jane Pabon Consignment Boutique.
“I know that Hi-Hat has been doing very well,” said Heather Cunningham, who’s with the public relations staff at Delnor Community Hospital, which owns Hi-Hat. “Discretionary income is down and people are trying to stretch their dollars.”
The city council began recognizing a change in market trends as shoppers began looking for more bargains and passed an ordinance last year that allows consignment shops, at least high-end ones, in the Third Street business corridor for the first time. That cleared the way for Jane Pabon to open her boutique on Third Street.
“We have to cater to the demands of the market,” Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns said.
Meanwhile, Community Development Director Dick Untch believes the commercial landscape will change as the suburbs emerge from the recession. He believes there will be less emphasis on strip malls and big-box retailers and more people will return to neighborhood shops, such as consignment shops. Untch feels downtown Geneva can thrive because of its niche stores and unique items.
Most of the city’s eight apparel consignment shops are downtown, rather than on the Randall Road commercial corridor with its big box retailers and shopping centers.
According to a survey by the Association of Resale Professionals, resale shops across the nation had a 12.7 percent growth in net sales between 2008 and 2009, despite a decline in overall retail sales during that time.
Locally, dozens of businesses opened and closed in Geneva during the past 12 months, but the net difference has resulted in nine new businesses. Two are consignment shops — Jane Pabon and Plato’s Closet.
Still, more consignment businesses don’t mean the city is necessarily becoming “cheap,” and Burns doesn’t think the ordinance allowing consignment shops on Third Street will detract from the city’s character. The city’s consignment shops sell mostly used, high-end designer brands, such as Burberry, Coach, Louis Vuitton and Juicy Couture.
For shop owners such as Rooney, offering designer items was her goal.
“I had a vision of how I wanted my shop to be and I wanted it to be all high-end,” she said.
And some items are still pricey, from $150 dresses and $200 purses, even though they are typically marked half off retail prices.
Late last month, Rooney was offered the chance to post a coupon on the Groupon website after being on a nine-month waiting list and sold 198 coupons. The online coupon sold for $30 and was good for $60 in merchandise.
Bethany Kural, an Anew customer, said she usually shops at consignment shops for her four young children to save money. But she said she began shopping for herself at Anew after she began using the Groupon.
“I definitely will go back,” she said.
Business at Anew has been so good that in February, Rooney expanded to include consignment bridal dresses. As wedding season approaches, she’s hoping to have the same success that she did with prom dresses.
“It takes a while for word to get out,” she said.
She hopes one draw will be the fact that about a third of her shop’s bridal dresses have never been worn. Rooney said some brides-to-be find another dress they like better and sell their original dress.
And she doesn’t expect a shortage of supply, either. When Rooney first opened, she said it seemed like people were waiting for a chance to sell items.
“Every day I turn people away (who want to sell items) either because I’m full or it doesn’t match what we sell,” Rooney said.
