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Business Week - Video story
Second-hand doesn’t mean second-best... Low prices don’t mean cheap stuff when it comes to second-hand shops. We take you to some upscale consignment stores that are doing very well in the midst of this economic downturn.NARTS Immediate Past President Launches TV Show - View the Video
Stores see surge in holiday spending (News Herald Panama City - December 22, 2008)
For some area consignment stores, such as Randall's Lee's Designer Consignment Shoppe, that has meant higher fall and holiday sales numbers than those recorded in 2007. Lee's Christmas sales campaign is called "Tightening Our Belt With Style," and Randall said Dec. 5 was her store's best sales day since 2003. Randall is a member of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops, and her fall/holiday sales success falls in line with many other organization members' 2008 expectations.
Read the storyShoppers Turn to Consignment Stores (The Wall Street Journal - November 4, 2008)
"This industry just keeps growing, but especially during slow times," says Adele R. Meyer, executive director of the 1,000-member National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. "Once people find that great bargain, they're hooked." A recent survey of NARTS members found that 66.2% of the stores saw sales climb from January through August 2008, compared with the same period of 2007. The average increase was 35%. The survey found that 85.8% of stores have seen an increase in new customers and 74.5% are seeing new suppliers or donors. Chris Cowman, president of NARTS, says she has seen businesses at her two consignment stores in the Columbus, Ohio, area increase by about 15% to 20% this year. Ms. Cowman says shoppers typically pay about a third of what they would for clothes and about half for furniture at retail stores. But consumers also are turning to consignment shops to find extra cash. People receive a payment either when they bring in the merchandise in or when it is sold. Ms. Cowman says she's seeing more designer brand clothes brought in. "I think people have found out that they could get rid of something they don't wear," she says. Ms. Cowman also has noticed an uptick in the number of people taking the cash immediately rather than waiting for the typically larger amount they could receive by waiting for a consignment sale.
Read the storySelling the Finer Things in Life: Priceless (Entrepeneur.com - November 3, 2008)
The National Association of Retail & Thrift Shops reports that consignment shop inventory and sales are up as a result of the struggling economy, with many upper-income Americans parting ways with luxury items such as handbags, watches and shoes. "The resale industry is one of the few recession proof segments of retailing," states NARTS. "Not only does it survive during economic slowdowns but it grows and thrives. The appeal is twofold: Consumers are attracted to buying quality merchandise at a fraction of the original cost, and there is also a financial incentive to sell, consign or donate their unused or unwanted items." Newsweek states that the trade in used high-end fashion and jewelry is booming.
Read the storyResale stores see upswing in sales, consignments (St. Louis Business Journal - October 31, 2008)
Other upscale resale shops, such as the Women’s Closet Exchange in the Sappington Plaza and Back on the Rack in Brentwood, pay for designer-label clothing and accept consignments at 50 percent of the resale price. They, too, are seeing big changes. “People have decided to sell their things rather than donate them,” said Sue McCarthy, owner of the Women’s Closet Exchange. She said sales were up $20,000 in September, compared with the same month last year. “We’re seeing more people who need money.” McCarthy said she is taking in 500 to 600 items a day from St. Louis and across the country, up from a more normal 300 to 400 items. “We’re off the charts here, benefiting from the bad economy.” Joanne Counce, owner of Back on the Rack, declined to reveal dollar increases but said sales are up 40 percent for the first nine months and close to 100 percent in October. “We normally get in 200 items a day; now we’re getting close to 300,” she said. “People are looking for new ways to save. There are many new people — a lot of people who didn’t try our store before,” Counce said. “And they can buy better quality clothes than perhaps they have been.”
Read the storyConsignment shops ride Palin's coattails (Ocala Business Journal - October 28, 2008)
Consignment shop owners probably could not have imagined themselves being acknowledged during this year's presidential politics. Who would have thought that a vice presidential candidate is among the 12 percent to 15 percent of Americans who say they frequent a resale or consignment shop each year? Lina Beth Fine Consignments in Ocala identifies itself as offering customers a place that is "like shopping around the world in one location." "This is where you shop if you want to dress like a million without spending it," Dorough said. "If people are spending at all, they are spending with us. Nationally, the consignment industry is booming." The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, which bills itself as the world's largest resale trade association, was founded in 1984 and now has more than 1,000 members. According to the association, the number of resale, consignment and thrift stores nationwide has grown by about 5 percent a year in each of the past five years to the current level of more than 25,000 shops.
Read the storyLooking to Make a Quick Buck? (WPIX News - October 17, 2008)
Got some old stuff in your closet you don't use anymore? There's a way to turn those old shirts and shoes into cash. What better way to reconcile that inequity, than to take your unused goods to a consignment store, like Michael's in Manhattan.
Read the storySave Dollars On Designer Clothes (Forbes.com - October 9, 2008)
Uncertain economic times tend to make it difficult to maintain a luxurious lifestyle--especially when it comes to buying clothes. But that's only if you care about shopping for new clothes. Once considered taboo, resale and consignment shops that offer high-end labels like Prada, Gucci and Chanel, are flourishing. According to a July survey conducted by the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops (NARTS), sales climbed an average of 30% compared with last year. "With this past week of insanity, everyone is looking a little closer at how to make their budget stretch further," says Cathy White, owner of the Stork & Fashion Exchange, a Connecticut-based consignment shop catering to women and children.
Read the storyThrift shops thrive amid economic downturn (International Herald Tribune - October 6, 2008)
Consumers "can't change the price of gas. They can't change the price of food. They can't make the stock market go up again," said Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. "But they can control the price of clothes and furniture by being a savvy shopper."
Read the storyThrift shops thrive amid US economic downturn (GMA News TV - October 5, 2008)
"People are really savvy now," said Angie Heidenreich, owner of LuLu's Consignment Boutique in Fletcher, N.C. "With consignment you make money, you save money and you recycle. It's a no-brainer." Heidenreich opened her consignment store — which essentially serves as a middleman for customers who want to buy and sell clothes — in November, 2006. Sales increases of nearly 100 percent forced her to more than triple the store's size to keep up with demand." Consumers "can't change the price of gas. They can't change the price of food. They can't make the stock market go up again," said Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. "But they can control the price of clothes and furniture by being a savvy shopper."
Read the storyMother-daughter team takes 2nd look (Corvallis Gazette-Times - August 31, 2008)
When Nancy Kneisel decided she would try to replicate the success of her women’s clothing consignment shop in Corvallis, she didn’t realize that a location just around the corner from her Third Street store would be the perfect spot for the Second Glance Annex. Kneisel and her daughter Jessica, who was a manager for Nordstrom in Salem, had first talked about testing out the Portland market. Kneisel’s next-door neighbor then told her he had a space to lease on Jefferson Avenue, just around the corner from the store she has owned for 24 years, Second Glance, at 312 S.W. Third Street.
Read the storyIt's COOL to Buy USED (St. Louis Post - Dispatch - August 23, 2008)
At the Purple Cow in South County, high fashion doesn't come with a high price tag. Owner, style maven and mother of two Laura Maurice hand-picks every item she resells in her store, concentrating on current styles by high-end labels and designers such as Ralph Lauren, Baby Lulu, Baby Nay, Heartstrings and Tea. Maurice opened the Purple Cow eight years ago after cutting her teeth in the resale business working for her mom, Sue McCarthy, who owns Women's Closet Exchange, a popular women's designer resale shop just two doors down from the Purple Cow in Sappington Plaza.
Read the storyThrift store chic (The Fayetteville Observer - August 19, 2008)
Dressing in thrift-store chic has been a secret of the ultra-trendy for years. The many styles, textures and patterns available at secondhand shops lend themselves to creating a one-of-a-kind fashion-forward look. You can borrow their secret by exhibiting patience and an open mind. Judy Robinson, owner of Sacks Consigned Designs in Fayetteville, said her store carries top brands such as Ellen Tracy and St. John. People are surprised when they enter the store, she said, and see how well-organized it is and the many top designers they carry. “Consignment shops are growing,” Robinson said. “People are finding out that it’s a smart way to shop because they can buy designer clothes at a fraction of the cost.” One of the joys in running an upscale secondhand shop, she said, is helping put someone in a designer outfit that she might not otherwise have been able to afford. “We have a lot of instances like that,” she said, “where we help people on a very limited budget.”
Read the storyNew life for old furniture (The Philadelphia Inquirer - August 15, 2008)
Savings and individual style are two reasons that secondhand items are in greater demand. In an April survey of its 1,000-plus member stores, the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops said three-quarters of its members reported a jump in sales, with the average increase 30 percent. "People want more for their money. They have to have more for their money, and they're having to be a little bit more creative on how they're spending," says Tracey True Dismukes, the group's immediate past president and the owner of three consignment shops in Birmingham, Ala. "Pieces come and go every day, every hour," Dismukes says. "It's a thrill to get that piece you didn't expect to find."
Read the storyConsignment and resale stores let customers be smart with money (aikenstandard.com - August 3, 2008)
"I am getting a lot of new customers," said Lorry Sightler, owner of Upscale Resale on the 118 Bypass. "You hear all the doom and gloom (about the economy). We are one of the few businesses that this is going to help. We're making something good out of a bad situation." That something good is two-fold - Upscale Resale, a consignment store, attracts customers who want to buy quality merchandise at a fraction of the original cost and offers customers a financial incentive to consign their unused or unwanted items.
Read the storyRethinking resale: Shop owners network to improve thrift experience (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - July 29, 2008)
Resale shop owners are working hard to attract customers to a kind of shopping that only recently has come into its own in the Pittsburgh region. Earlier this month, 10 representatives from seven Western Pennsylvania thrift and consignment stores attended the 21st annual conference of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops in Indianapolis. Along with specialized resale workshops, members attended networking sessions, a motivational keynote speech and a resale trade show. The goal, said conference attendee Terry Chesky, owner of Consignment Cottage, an upscale consignment shop with locations in Moon and Sewickley, was to raise the bar for shop owners and "challenge" them to be better. "We want to be the best we can be for our customers."
Read the storyNew clothing store My Style... Your Style opens in Battle Creek (Battle Creek Enquirer - July 24, 2008)
My Style . . . Your Style was developed to meet the needs of fashion-conscious women looking for better brands and designer label clothing who do not want to or cannot pay full prices. The store also offers women a unique local “recycling” opportunity to consign their name-brand clothes that are still in great condition.
Read the storyResale shops benefit crisis center (Southtown Star - July 23, 2008)
Neat Repeats Resale is an upscale resale shop that sells everything from women's and baby clothes - including white onesies without bright orange spots - to books to household items. All the proceeds go to the Crisis Center for South Suburbia. Last year, that translated to about $600,000, nearly 30 percent of the shelter's annual budget. "We're just thrilled to be helping the victims of domestic violence," said Joyce Athey, director of the Orland Park and Worth stores.
Read the storyRe-sale Stores Boom, Help Locals Save (wltx.com - July 11, 2008)
Even when budgets are a little bit tighter, many feel just like Naida Harris when she says, "I'm a girl, I wanna shop!" But the spending saavy are turning to re-sale stores. With the economy the way that it is, I mean, there's just really no room to go to the mall and spend all of the money that they're asking for for these clothes," consignor and shopper Naida Harris says. "I've been consignment shopping just to help save some money so that I can still shop." And at Revente, Naida says she's gotten designer suits for $100 that can retail up to $700. "When you see all these designer labels at such a discounted rate, your heart jumps for joy a little bit," she says.
Read the storySecondhand Savings (New Orleans City Business - July 7, 2008)
“With this downturn, which is pretty serious, people are talking a lot more about (resale) and they’re coming to visit the stores,” said Stephanie Hirsh, owner of Prima Donna’s Closet consignment stores on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans and on 17th Street in Metairie. “Once you discover it, it’s such a turn-on to women because we like to shop,” Hirsh said. “And we have to look good,” even when money is tight.
Read the storySecond-hand times (Southtown Star - July 3, 2008)
Women seeking the classic look of Ann Taylor Loft may not need to pay full price at the Fox Run Mall in Newington. Another Ann Taylor, owner of Twice a Lady in Stratham, carries the brand on consignment for about a third of the standard retail cost. The catch is many of these clothes have been worn before. But unlike at some charity resale stores, it’s difficult to tell the clothes are used. Many local businesses are successfully selling used clothing, accessories and furnishings in a time when the economy is slow but fashion still moves fast.
Read the storyResale Bonanza... Hot market for designer duds keeps secondhand shops busy (The Columbus Dispatch - June 19, 2008)
A recent survey by the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops, a 1,000-store trade group with headquarters in Michigan, has seen a similar uptick: Such stores saw a 25 percent average increase in April business compared with the same month last year. "People realize how much things cost at a department store," said Chris Cowman, the association's president and owner of the Grandview Heights-area consignment shop One More Time, where 2008 first-quarter sales are up 20 percent. "This has to be one of our top years."
Read the storyConsignment shops booming as economy falls (nbc5i.com - June 13, 2008)
The economic slowdown has created business for consignment shops and an unusual opportunity for shoppers as more people clean out their closets for quick cash, NBC 5 reported. At Clothes Circuit in Preston Center a sign on the consignment door warns only designer clothes are being accepted and the store is overstocked. For shoppers it means shoes, handbags and clothes that are usually expensive at a big discount. Clothes Circuit has been in business for 25 years and employees said May was their best month ever as tight times boosted resale. Workers at Clotheshorse Anonymous said business is booming too. "We have a rack that goes out, probably every hour, of new things that have just been processed," said Joleen Mullins of Clotheshorse Anonymous.
Read the storyWhen Conscience and Closet Collide (The New York Times - June 12, 2008)
In recent months, high-end designer resale shops have been the beneficiaries of a subtle shift in consumer thinking, as fashion lovers, even those who can afford to splurge, reassess their priorities. Unsettled by continuing recession fears and the soaring prices of designer clothes, and assailed by queasy consciences as well, many find these shops a way to update their wardrobes without seriously denting their bank accounts — or their sense of social propriety. Merchants report that the number of shoppers and consignors is climbing and that business has rarely been so robust. “The rise of the euro, sky-high retail prices and the idea of recycling — those are some of the things that drive customers right to our door,” said Laura Fluhr, an owner of Michael’s, the 54-year-old grande dame of fancy resale stores on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. “In an otherwise bleak retail scene, consignment is a thriving area,” Ms. Fluhr said, noting that her business is 30 percent ahead for the first four months of 2008.
Read the storyFocus On: Anastasia’s Consignment Shop (Valdosta Daily Times - May 25, 2008)
Holly Coffey was a mere 19 years old when her then employer Stacey Daugherty offered to sell her the entire business, lock, stock and barrel. She became the official owner of Anastasia’s Consignment Shop one day before her 20th birthday. “I was very excited to become the owner, something that I never dreamed could happen,” she said. “I love this place and I love selling clothes. This is such an ideal opportunity for me.”
Read the storyReceipts rising at resale shops amid softening economy (Columbus Business First - May 23, 2008)
The inventory at resale and consignment stores may be secondhand, but the sales result it seems are first-rate at a time when few retailers can make such a claim. "People are more aware of their dollar," said consignment store owner Chris Cowman. "You can shop resale and rather than getting an $80 sweater, you can get around eight sweaters. It is about stretching your dollar." Cowman owns One More Time, a 35-year-old clothing consignment shop at 1521 Fifth Ave. in Columbus, on a stretch dubbed Consignment Row with eight secondhand clothing and furniture stores in the area.
Read the storyConsignment shop flourishes amid economy (AM New York - May 12, 2008)
Bucking the nationwide retail slowdown, Upper East Side consignment shop Michael's continues to ring up impressive sales. Owners say the economy hasn't deterred New York's fashionistas --on the hunt for discounted designer-label goods --from flocking to the 54-year-old boutique.
Read the storyAmid downturn, second-hand shops thrive (Maryland Gazette - April 24, 2008)
With a boutique full of colorful second-hand dresses, skirts and shoes, owner Barbara Blesi is focusing on the empty shop next door. The adjacent space now has only a lone rack of clothes, but it will soon house more of Blesi’s upscale used items as she doubles her Second Chance Boutique on Fairmont Avenue in Bethesda. Like many resale, pawn and consignment shops in Maryland, Blesi has reported a boom in sales — an anomaly in the retail sector, in which overall sales have been stagnant and owners have been cutting jobs. Blesi, after seeing a significant sales increase the past year, is churning out more advertising and adding to her staff of three while many other retailers are cutting back expenses.
Read the storyDebbie McDaniel of Revente and Sid & Nancy (Columbia Star - April 25, 2008)
Revente, the consignment shop on Saluda Avenue in Five Points, began 16 years ago. Sid & Nancy, an invested inventory shop a few doors up Saluda from Revente, began a little over a year ago. Both shops are owned and operated by Debbie McDaniel.
Read the storyConsignment shops offer bargains (Traverse City Record-Eagle - April 9, 2008)
Rick and Sharon Carmean learned early on that it takes a strong stomach to run their own business. "On our first day, we raked in a whopping $6.32 total," recalled Rick. "That was a very long night. Day two went a little better and soon we were on our way." The Carmeans operate Top Drawer Resale, a Traverse City business that offers furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing and more at clearance prices. "We carry high quality clothing from top names," said Rick. "We also carry designer clothing for juniors from the best names you'll find at the mall, all for a fraction of regular retail prices."
Read the storyRags Consignments Helps Customers Go Green and Give Back (PR Web - February 27, 2008)
2008 is about taking care of the world around you. Rags Consignments of Boulder, Colorado is giving fashionistas the opportunity to get in some good deeds while still treating themselves. Rags Consignments has made it easy to be green--and stay gorgeous while you're at it.
Read the storyDesigner clothes get second look (Seacoastonline.com - October 30, 2007)
Ann Taylor has always dreamed of opening her own women's consignment shop. Her dream became a reality when she found the perfect location in a charming cottage for rent on Portsmouth Avenue. In the end of September, she opened Twice A Lady, and has been overwhelmed by the support for and interest in the shop. "It was just meant to be," she said of the location. The shop already has 150 consignors and Taylor is committed to only offering quality lady's clothing, shoes and accessories.
Read the storyConsignment store helps sellers, shoppers (Herald News - October 9, 2007)
Shirley Innis runs her consignment clothing store, Second Glance, with a focus on details that make people feel good. There are terrycloth robes in the dressing rooms so that customers can return to the racks and keep shopping without having to change back into their own clothes. Each changing room has three hooks labeled for sorting items: one for "Yes...this is it!"; one for "Maybe ??" and another for "Oh, no...what was I thinking!"
Read the storyConsignment Shops Worry About Toy Recalls (KCRG News, Cedar Rapids, IA - September 12, 2007)
Do you feel like you need a boat to stay afloat after the rain of recent recalls? You are not alone. Consignment stores are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the recall game. The owner of Stuff Etc., Mary Sundblad said, “Resale or retail it's hitting us both pretty hard as they are happening so often."
Read the storyCollege kids know thrifty and nifty (USA Today - August 29, 2007)
"Equipping a college student doesn't have to be a wallet-draining ordeal," says Adele Meyer of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. "Resale stores specializing in furniture, small appliances, bedding and accessories are brimming with treasures to furnish dorm rooms on an affordable budget."
Read the storyStores work hard to stay on top of recalls (USA Today - August 17, 2007)
Secondhand stores and organizations that take donated goods, such as Goodwill, are scrambling to remove recalled Mattel toys from their shelves. At The Kids Closet, a resale store in Rochester, Ill., employees who receive merchandise review all recalls, says Kitty Boyce, the store's owner. The Consumer Product Safety Commission provides e-mail notices on recalls to resale stores and organizations. Consumers can get the e-mails, too, through cpsc.gov. "I check the CSPC e-mails every morning, and we pull the recalls the same day," says Boyce of The Kids Closet, where recalls are posted on a bulletin board. The Mattel recalls are somewhat easier for the stores to deal with because there has been so much publicity. "It's pretty hard for thrift shops to miss it," says Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. "It's everywhere."
Read the storySecondhand clothes get brand-new reputation (USA Today - August 17, 2007)
What!? Buy someone else's clothes? It's a reaction many people have until they see the typically low prices, good quality and large selection at many of the more than 25,000 resale, consignment and thrift shops in the USA. And with back-to-school season in full swing during trying economic times, the resale industry is geared up for better-than-usual sales. Children's secondhand stores "are definitely busier before the school year starts," says Adele Meyer, executive director of NARTS. "Clothes are so expensive, and this is a good way to find good clothing at a good price. Kids grow quickly, and many times, they outgrow clothes before they have a chance to wear them."
Read the storyT
he New Trend of Used Clothes (Time Magazine - May 31, 2007)
Buffalo Exchange, which earned more than $3 million last year on $43 million in revenue, has 32 stores nationally, making it one of the largest purveyors of recycled clothing in the country. Three more stores are planned for this year. Crossroads Trading Co., based in Berkeley, Calif., rang up $20 million in sales last year at its 22 stores and also plans to add three stores. The number of resale shops is growing 5% annually, according to the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops.
Read the storyTucson Woman Set Used Clothing Trend 30 Years Ago
(KOLD News 13 - June 13, 2007)
In 1974, she opened Buffalo Exchange, offering a new concept for second-hand clothing. Instead of consignment, she created the world of buying, selling and trading recycled clothing and accessories.
Read the storyGo consignment for grad deals (Edmonton Journal - May 15, 2007)
At Caprice on 124th street, owner Glenda Polak (whose business card reads "retail therapist") says young women coming into her store often impress with their enthusiasm for pulling together a custom look from seemingly disparate items.
Read the storyThrift Shop Lesson No. 1: Tame the Pile
(The Washington Post, February 5, 2007)
Last Thursday, Judy Stone took me to the back of Yesterday's Rose, the nonprofit thrift shop she manages on Main Street in Fairfax. Judy wanted to show me a part of the store that's off-limits to customers. I wasn't a customer that day, she kept reminding me; I was an employee.
Read the storyDesigner duds on resale racks
(The Columbus Dispatch, December 4, 2006)
The secret to the success of One More Time is based on an established clientele of 30-, 40- and 50-somethings — who take their unwanted clothes there to sell but often buy someone else’s discards, too. A tenure of 31 years in the resale industry is nothing to scoff at, especially in a transitory retail environment. The inviting atmosphere resembles a boutique: Window displays and mannequins are fashionably dressed, and clothes are displayed in uncluttered spaces.
Read the storyTips for buying designer duds on consignment
(Today, Weekend Edition, August 6, 2006)
You don't have to spend a fortune to look like a million bucks! Boutique owner Christina Novak offers advice to bargain shoppers. Christina is a NARTS member and owner of New to You, Inc., which was featured on the Today Weekend Edition show. See the video clip included in this link.
Read the storyGetting ready for fall
(Houston Chronicle, July 27, 2006)
Budget fashionistas would be wise to start thinking about fall fashion now. Yes, this is the perfect time to hit Houston's upscale resale shops, as boutiques and local power shoppers clean out their closets and sell last season's goodies. Encore! on San Felipe is a designer-label lover's paradise. Chloe, Versace, Escada, Michael Kors and Roberto Cavalli are among the color-coded racks at this friendly spot. At B'Dazzled on West Gray, the racks are loaded with brand-new items, tags still attached, that came directly from some of Houston's most well-known boutiques.
Read the storyConsigning Women Boutique a friendly, comfortable shop
(Gulf Breeze News, July 27, 2006)
Consigning Women Boutique, a great little shop that has thrived in Gulf Breeze for many years, has a new look and new owners. The Landfair family, Barbara, Jim, David and Alexander Landfair, bought the shop in June. They were closed for a few weeks to give it a little face-lift and make it their own. Re-opening on July 1, Consigning Women Boutique is a cozy little shop with something for everyone.
Read the storyYou can buy what Houston's rich and famous unload
(abc13.com, July 27, 2006)
There's a place here in Houston where some of the city's rich and famous go to unload jewelry, clothes, and furniture they don't want anymore. And you can buy it for cheap! It's been called one of the best consignment stores in Texas, so if you love to hunt for treasure The Guild Shop is the place for you.
Read the storyWhy buy? It's all about the swap! (7online.com, February 21, 2006)
At the Buffalo Exchange, a store new to New York, but one that started 32 years ago in Arizona, what you'll find are clothes and shoes, most worn before, but most, still in style. But the other exciting element is that not only can you buy, you can sell and even swap, and that's where you get the most value.
Read the storyPieces can outfit a first apartment or formal living room
(The Columbus Dispatch - January 1, 2006)
One More Time Etc. takes items on consignment or purchases them outright . . . amazing pieces arrive in the store from upscale furniture stores. "People who sell furniture that is fairly new often are moving out of an area or combining households," said store manager, Sara Childs. "Some people simply tire of their furniture quickly and want to buy new."
Read the story
Helping teens dress for less (The Arizona Daily Star - December 29, 2005)
Buffalo Exchange differentiates itself in the way it buys clothing, giving cash at 35 percent of an item's value or offering a 50 percent in-store credit to buy from the store. Offering a wider selection of clothing beyond "recycled mall brands, owner Kerstin Block said, "Buffalo Exchange appeals to a more esoteric crowd with funky and hip clothing tastes. Teenagers are a big market. But we are offering clothing for everyone."
Read the storyWhen secondhand is first choice (East Valley Tribune, July 10, 2005)
Some shoppers go to Buffalo Exchange and other secondhand clothing stores to find items they won’t see on anyone else. "I think it’s part of the American culture," says Ann Siner, CEO of My Sister’s Closet and nine other secondhand stores in the Valley.
Read the storyKids' resale chain aims to gain from $200 billion children's market (The Detroit News, May 26, 2005)
Revenues are up and the number of stores is climbing for Children's Orchard, a retail chain that sells used clothing, toys and other assorted goods for children under 7, as it capitalizes on the nation's growing appetite for thrift shopping and resale.
Read the storyN.Y. on resale: How about a $20 Ann Taylor suit? (The Seattle Times, March 18, 2005)
Ah, New York, home to some of the nation's unique and magnificent sights: The Statue of Liberty, Broadway — and the resale stores of the Upper East Side. ...a double dose of designer consignment: Encore and, just next to it, BIS Designer Resale.
Read the storyNARTS & Resale in the News
Resale stores boom, others bust (Gazette.net - Maryland Community Newspapers, April 17, 2008)
Second-hand shops expanding, spending more on advertising as other merchants struggle.
Read the storyJulia Roberts Recycles Baby Clothes, Shops Second-Hand Stores (ecorazzi.com, May 6, 2007)
Everyone knows you can find really great deals at second-hand and charity shops. Apparently, Julia Roberts believes in the same thing.
Read the storyWhere to sell your junk for cash (Bankrate.com, May 1, 2006)
"You need to match the goods to the items the store is carrying," says Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. Otherwise, you might not get the highest price for it, she says.
Read the storyThrift stores are a growing presence
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, November 26, 2005)
"Resale is a multibillion-dollar industry that has been growing at a rate of 5 percent a year for a number of years," said Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops
Read the storySecondhand stores trying a new strategy
(The Boston Globe, August 6, 2005)
As competition grows among retailers for used clothing, shops turn to never-used and redesigned goods to fill racks
Read the story
How do I Start a Consignment Shop? (Startup Journal by The Wall Street Journal, July 18, 2005)
But creating an environment that's fun for buyers and sellers is just a small first step, says Adele Meyer, director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops.
Read the storyCheck back often to read the latest news articles about resale and NARTS member stores.