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La Grange, IL —
Black Friday, the biggest shopping holiday of the year is right around the corner but expectations for sales are average, according to the National Retail Federation.
The group sees sales rising just 2.8 percent over last year, a menial increase that’s a direct result of high unemployment and cash-exhausted people.
But as retailers struggle, another part of the industry is undergoing a renaissance: resale.
Cash-strapped consumers who are forgoing big-box stores are instead perusing the racks of resale shops where resale professionals say they are finding quality clothing at a fraction of the cost.
“This is a way consumers can save money,” said Adele Meyer, executive director of The Association of Resale Professionals. “And consumers can make money by selling their clothes on consignment.”
According to the Association of Resale Professionals, net sales grew 12.7 percent last year for resale shops, even as overall retail sales were down 7.3 percent.
It’s an increase Lucia Mottier, owner of Small Change in La Grange, said she’s seen.
“Oh yes. The past week, it was just crazy in here,” Mottier said Monday. “Saturday, I didn’t leave until 8. Mind you, we close at 5.”
Mottier, who purchased the shop in 1993 from a friend, said the recession is the primary driving force for the increase in customers, as many consumers who never worried about saving money are now tightening their belts and looking for a deal.
“For instance, I sold a Chanel coat out of the window,” Mottier said. “The tag price was over $1,000. I sold it for $300. That was a fabulous deal.”
Small Change sells an eclectic blend of dressy, casual and career apparel.
“Many women are between jobs and it’s tough to buy interview apparel,” Mottier said. “And it’s tough to get a job without the appropriate clothing.”
Mottier also carries children’s clothing, which allows new parents to purchase clothing their ever-growing child will quickly be too big for.
“Children grow out of clothing fast,” Mottier said. “Parents can buy clothing here that’s either very gently worn, or never worn at all, for a tenth of the price.”
Sharyn Tondu, owner of Elm Classic Consignment in Elmhurst, said she understands why customers would forsake standard stores for resale.
“It’s a good opportunity to buy something you’d spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on,” Tondu said.
Elm Classic sells classic and contemporary designer and brand-name clothing as well as accessories. Tondu purchased the shop 10 years ago while she was in the middle of a divorce.
Black Friday, the biggest shopping holiday of the year is right around the corner but expectations for sales are average, according to the National Retail Federation.
The group sees sales rising just 2.8 percent over last year, a menial increase that’s a direct result of high unemployment and cash-exhausted people.
But as retailers struggle, another part of the industry is undergoing a renaissance: resale.
Cash-strapped consumers who are forgoing big-box stores are instead perusing the racks of resale shops where resale professionals say they are finding quality clothing at a fraction of the cost.
“This is a way consumers can save money,” said Adele Meyer, executive director of The Association of Resale Professionals. “And consumers can make money by selling their clothes on consignment.”
According to the Association of Resale Professionals, net sales grew 12.7 percent last year for resale shops, even as overall retail sales were down 7.3 percent.
It’s an increase Lucia Mottier, owner of Small Change in La Grange, said she’s seen.
“Oh yes. The past week, it was just crazy in here,” Mottier said Monday. “Saturday, I didn’t leave until 8. Mind you, we close at 5.”
Mottier, who purchased the shop in 1993 from a friend, said the recession is the primary driving force for the increase in customers, as many consumers who never worried about saving money are now tightening their belts and looking for a deal.
“For instance, I sold a Chanel coat out of the window,” Mottier said. “The tag price was over $1,000. I sold it for $300. That was a fabulous deal.”
Small Change sells an eclectic blend of dressy, casual and career apparel.
“Many women are between jobs and it’s tough to buy interview apparel,” Mottier said. “And it’s tough to get a job without the appropriate clothing.”
Mottier also carries children’s clothing, which allows new parents to purchase clothing their ever-growing child will quickly be too big for.
“Children grow out of clothing fast,” Mottier said. “Parents can buy clothing here that’s either very gently worn, or never worn at all, for a tenth of the price.”
Sharyn Tondu, owner of Elm Classic Consignment in Elmhurst, said she understands why customers would forsake standard stores for resale.
“It’s a good opportunity to buy something you’d spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on,” Tondu said.
Elm Classic sells classic and contemporary designer and brand-name clothing as well as accessories. Tondu purchased the shop 10 years ago while she was in the middle of a divorce.
“I needed to give myself something to do, something to invest in,” Tondu said.
For Tondu and many resalers, the holiday season brings out a boom in business. Halloween especially brings out customers looking to find a costume on the inexpensive side.
But her business also is buoyed by selling clothing to various theater troops as well kids and adults getting prepared to dress up for a special occasion.
“People are constantly having theme parties or theme weddings,” Tondu said.
Being able to provide for those types of events is one of the bonuses of working in resale, Beverly Schmidt said.
Schmidt’s daughter, Karla Sitko, owns Claudia’s Closet in St. Charles. Claudia, for whom the store is named after, is Sitko’s daughter.
“Ours is a happy store,” said Schmidt, who helps run the store. “We’re able to dress a young girl for prom from head to toe.”
Claudia’s Closet, which opened on April 1, already has exceeded sale expectations, Schmidt said. They already have 325 consignors.
Consignors are people who bring in clothing for the store to sell. Once the clothing sells, they receive a percent of the sale.
“Retail is extremely unique in many ways,” Schmidt said. “We’ve met tremendous people along the way.”
While the economy may have brought customers into resale shops, owners aren’t worried about losing their business once it turns around.
"The slumping economy may draw people in, but once they visit a resale shop for the first time, they are pleasantly surprised with the high quality of merchandise and are forever hooked on a new way of smart spending," said Kitty Boyce, president of the National Association of Resale Professionals and owner of Remarkable Resale in Rochester, Illinois.
It makes sense to Mottier, who said she sees the rise in resale occurring far outside the U.S.
“It’s worldwide,” Mottier said. “Wherever we travel — London, Germany, Italy — wherever I go, I find resale shops.”
