The NARTS Blog: Behind the Counter
Behind the Counter, the NARTS blog for resale, consignment, and thrift store owners, managers, and partners. Practical guidance on running a resale business, from intake standards and pricing strategy to staff training, customer hospitality, and event planning. Written by people who have lived this industry, for the people running it every day. Real answers, no fluff, no guesswork.
Resale Is Not A Clearance Rack
Angie Houloose, Executive Director
July 15, 2026
Every once in a while, someone says something that stops me, not because they're wrong, but because I suddenly understand why they think the way they do. That happened not long ago while I was walking through a consignment store with someone who had never spent a day in resale. She looked around at the clean, well organized floor, the thoughtfully arranged displays, the customers browsing unhurried through a collection that felt curated rather than left over, and asked, "So this is basically just a clearance rack, right?"
She didn't mean anything by it. It was an honest observation from someone standing on the outside looking in. I smiled and told her I understood exactly why she'd think that. From a shopper's side of the counter, the comparison makes sense. You're buying merchandise that someone else once owned. The prices are lower than traditional retail. Every item is a little different, and there's a treasure hunt feeling to a well curated collection. On the surface, that can look like the same thing as clearance.
But the longer I sat with that question, the more I realized it misses the one thing that actually defines resale, and thrift, and every model in between. A clearance rack tells the story of what didn't sell. A resale store tells a story that begins long before anything ever reaches the sales floor, and how that story unfolds depends entirely on which kind of store you're standing in.
I got to see it up close that same afternoon, while I stood off to the side and watched a consignor bring in three bags of clothing she'd spent the better part of a Saturday sorting through. She'd washed everything. Folded it neatly. Hung a few pieces because she wanted them to look their best. As she set the bags on the counter, I could tell she was already imagining what would happen next. The store carried brands like these. Surely they'd want most of it.
From where she stood, that made perfect sense. From the buyer's side of the counter, the thinking had only just begun.
The first sweater came out of the bag, and it was exactly what the store had been hoping someone would bring in. Great brand, excellent condition, customers had been asking for more just like it. Easy yes. The next sweater was almost as nice, but there was a faint stain near the cuff. Most people would never notice, but sooner or later a customer would. Into the return pile it went. Then came a beautiful jacket, impeccable condition, a brand the store loved to carry. For a moment it looked like another easy yes, until the buyer remembered accepting six nearly identical jackets over the past two weeks. They weren't moving fast enough to justify a seventh. It wasn't the jacket that was wrong. It was the timing.
That's consignment in a nutshell. Every item asks its own question, and the answer depends on far more than the label stitched inside the collar. The store isn't just deciding what it likes. It's deciding what it can responsibly promise to sell on someone else's behalf, because a consignor is trusting that store with their time as much as their belongings.
"I don't get it," the woman said, glancing toward a rack across the store. "You already have that brand hanging right over there."
She was right. They did. What she couldn't see was fifteen pieces from that same brand already waiting in the back for the right buyer. She didn't see the sales reports showing that category had slowed, or know that another consignor had brought in nearly identical pieces that same morning. Taking a sixteenth wasn't going to help anyone. It wouldn't help her, because it might sit for months earning nothing. It wouldn't help the next customer, because too many similar choices make shopping harder, not easier. And it wouldn't help the store, because every hanger holding something slow moving is a hanger that can't hold the next great find.
A buy outright resale store faces that same tension, just on a faster clock. There's no waiting for something to sell before the seller gets paid, which means the store has to make its read on value, condition, and demand in the moment, with real money changing hands right there at the counter. There's no six weeks to see if a jacket finds its customer. The buyer has to trust their eye and their data immediately, because once they've paid for it, the risk belongs entirely to the store. It's a different kind of pressure, but it comes from the same root question every resale model has to answer. Is this the right item, at the right time, for the customers walking through that door.
Thrift carries its own version of the same story, even though nothing changes hands financially at intake. Donations arrive by the bagful, often with no story attached at all, and a thrift store still has to sort, evaluate, and decide what earns space on the floor. The difference is that every one of those decisions is filtered through mission. A thrift store isn't just asking whether an item will sell. It's asking whether accepting and pricing that item serves the community it exists to support, whether it's a coat that should go straight to someone in need rather than onto a price tag, and whether the floor reflects both good stewardship of what was given and respect for the shopper standing in front of it. The story behind the donation may be invisible, but the intention behind the decision never is.
Across all three, consignment, buy outright, and thrift, team members hear the personal stories. "I only wore that dress once." "My daughter bought me that sweater." "Those jeans were expensive." Those stories matter to the person telling them. But they can't be the reason an item earns a spot on the floor, because the customer shopping next Tuesday won't know any of it. She won't know a jacket was worn once, or that a handbag was a birthday gift, or that a pair of shoes cost three hundred dollars new. She'll make her decision based on what she sees that day, and every good buyer, whether they're paying a consignor later, paying a seller on the spot, or serving a donor's generosity, has to learn to see it through her eyes.
The woman I was standing with wasn't finished, though. She looked from the return pile to the sales floor one more time. "But you have that brand right there," she said again. "That's why I don't understand."
So the buyer walked her through it, slowly. How several pieces from that brand had already been accepted recently. How some were on the floor and others were still waiting to be processed, a few longer than anyone would like. How taking another wasn't doing her any favors, because if they'd accepted it knowing it likely wouldn't sell, they'd only be setting her up for disappointment down the road. We talked about how one item could be beautiful and still arrive at the wrong time. How another could be in perfect condition and still fill a category the store already had too much of. How every hanger in that store represented a decision already made, and every new item accepted meant something else lost its chance at that space.
I watched her expression shift as she listened. She stopped defending her things and started trying to understand the process. Finally she smiled and said something I've heard more times than I can count over the years.
"I never realized how much thought goes into this."
Most people don't, and that's not a criticism, it's just distance. From the customer's side of the counter, it's easy to assume an item wasn't accepted because someone didn't like it. When it's your dress, your handbag, or a jacket you've loved for years, the decision can feel surprisingly personal. It's human nature to attach our belongings to our memories, and only natural to wonder why someone else doesn't see them the same way.
But that was never the decision being made, in any of these stores. It was never about the person standing at the counter. It was about the customer who hadn't walked through the door yet, and about building a collection, whether earned through consignment, purchased outright, or donated in good faith, that made sense for that store, that neighborhood, that season, and that moment in time.
I still think about that simple question, whether resale is basically a clearance rack. I understand why someone looking only at a sales floor might think the comparison holds. What they don't see are the hundreds of decisions, made differently depending on the model but rooted in the very same care, that shaped that floor long before they ever walked in.
A clearance rack is filled with what's left.
A great resale, consignment, or thrift store is filled with what was chosen.
Customer Service Ideas for Resale Stores:
The Little Things That Keep Customers Coming Back
Dawn Schultz
Babies In Bloom | Blooming Deals Consignment in Centreville, MD
July 28, 2026
“I know this shirt isn’t for you. This is not going to fit you!”
Have you ever had a retail associate say something like this to you at checkout? It happened recently to my daughter and me while we were shopping at a local thrift store. Like me, she loves thrifting, and she found a few cute tops for the summer that I offered to buy for her.
The associate asked how old my daughter was, and she replied, “Twenty-six.” The associate then told her, “Well, if it’s for you and you’re twenty-six, then that’s okay.” She also made a remark about how I was paying for all of my daughter’s items.
Was any of that necessary? Was it kind? Did it make me want to come back and shop there again? You bet it didn’t.
That comment got me thinking about the little things that make a customer’s or consignor’s experience positive and, ultimately, what keeps people coming back. I can assure you it isn’t criticizing their purchases.
As a store owner, how can you and your staff build connections and make people feel comfortable, welcomed, and connected to your store?
You may already be doing some of the simple, straightforward things:
- Sending birthday, sympathy, or get-well cards
- Offering lollipops to the kids
- Remembering customers’ names and welcoming them by name or thanking them for coming in
- Making allowances for consignors who have more items than normally permitted
- Offering water bottles when customers enter
- Keeping a clean, organized store with spacious dressing rooms
All of these things contribute to a positive, friendly atmosphere, but what if you took it one step further and turned those simple gestures into memorable ones?
Print this article and place a checkmark beside the things you already do in your store. Then put a star next to the new ideas you want to try during the final quarter of the year and beyond. Get your team involved, too. They’re a great source of ideas and often the ones who will put many of your customer service efforts into action.
- Keep a basket filled with small, prewrapped gifts tied with pretty ribbon. Include items such as hand lotion, new earrings, or gift cards to your store. Give them to customers on their birthdays, on days when someone needs a little encouragement, or as a thank you for a referral or simply for being a great customer.
- Keep a treasure chest filled with little prizes for children, such as Matchbox cars, stickers, or fidget toys. They are your future customers, after all.
- Take another look at your dressing rooms. Is there seating inside or just outside for guests? Is there a hook or table for a purse? Do you have positive signage that makes shoppers feel good while they try things on?
- Is your store organized by size and color? Are your displays refreshed weekly?
- Consider keeping a refreshment stand with flavored water or a coffee station. During our big sale, we give customers water and chocolates while they wait in line.
- Offer Gift Kindness Cards. (I learned this from a fabulous Executive Director I know - wink, wink.) These business card sized coupons are worth $5 and can be given to customers on the spot. We do this twice a month for twenty people. The card simply reads, “You are special. Please accept this kindness card. We hope you’ll pay it forward.”
- Get to know your customers, and let them get to know you. For the twenty fourth anniversary of our store, we created a Facebook post asking people what they loved about shopping with us. Their responses included, “You always knew my name and took the time to speak to me,” “You always had a smile on your face,” and “You remembered I went on my trip, and you asked me about it.”
- Ask customers about their grandchildren, their work, or their hobbies. Those conversations matter.
- Remember your customers’ preferences. Do they love Willow Tree figurines or Lilly Pulitzer? Give them a call or send a message when something arrives. Do you know the sizes of their children? Keep a notebook to help you remember, or use the Wish List feature in your software.
- We had a customer who loved Dunkin’ Donuts, and the perfect logo hat came in on consignment. We messaged her, and she wanted it. It was a small gesture, but do you know what she did afterward? She created a TikTok reviewing our children’s book section and shared it with all of her teacher friends.
- Do you work with people who are downsizing and open those back doors for all the treasures they want to bring in? We had a first-time consignor tell us she was moving, so we made an allowance for her to bring in more than the normal limit. Since then, she has insisted that her husband drive almost two hours to continue bringing items to us, even though there are plenty of consignment stores near her new home.
Last week, we opened our back door again for a consignor who was divorcing and moving to Florida. When she left, she said she felt lighter, and she was smiling.
Some of my most faithful customers and consignors have come from relationships formed during unfortunate and sometimes sad circumstances.
Are you there when a customer loses a loved one, a spouse loses a job, or someone in the community loses a home? Can you lend an ear, offer financial support, or assist with a community drive?
- We started a Cases for Kids program for foster children and families in need. The community donates backpacks and duffel bags, and we fill them with clothing, toiletries, and gift cards. We receive referrals from maternal and child health organizations, which pick up the cases and deliver them to the families.
- You might also consider diaper drives or collections for food banks and animal shelters. Could you offer early entry into a sale when someone donates one of these needed items?
- Another idea is to create a Make Their Day Fund. Set aside part of your giveaway budget to cover an occasional purchase. You might allocate $200 per month to pay for a toy a mother was unable to afford or the matching second pillow for the couch a customer just purchased. Give your staff the discretion to use this fund when they see an opportunity to make someone’s day.
- Build community connections. Customers and consignors want to be part of supporting organizations alongside you. Could you donate sweaters at the end of the season to a local nursing home? Could you send stuffed animals to your local police department?
- You can also let customers choose a charity at checkout and round up their purchases. This could begin on Giving Tuesday and continue throughout the week, or it could happen at any time of the year.
- “Skip a Bag and Pick a Charity” is another popular idea for the checkout counter. Give customers tickets to place in the jar representing their favorite charity, then donate five or ten cents for every bag they skip. Write the check at the end of the month. An animal shelter is almost always a favorite choice.
Do your customers and consignors feel special, or do they feel as though they are simply another sale?
During difficult times, when you or your store need support the most, your community, customers, and consignors will rally around you. They will support your business when you need them, just as you were there when they needed you.
As a store owner, you have provided affordable clothing, furniture, and so much more. You have greeted people, thanked them, surprised them with gifts, listened to them, and sometimes hugged them.
Those caring connections can last for the lifetime of your store. As a bonus, you may have made a small difference in someone’s life and made that person feel special.
The little things really do mean a lot.
When the Old Way No Longer Feels Right
Nic Esposito
Circa OS
August 2, 2026
On Christmas night in 2020, I climbed into the car after dinner with my extended family and started the drive home. It should have been a peaceful holiday ride. Instead, I was gripping the steering wheel and thinking about what was packed behind me.
The trunk was full of toys.
They had been given with love, but as any parent knows, children can only play with so many things. Some would become favorites. Others would soon be forgotten, pushed into the basement or eventually carried to a thrift store.
I could already see the familiar cycle unfolding. We buy things, use them for a while, run out of room and then try to figure out what to do with everything we no longer need.
The gifts weren’t the problem. The usual way of doing things simply no longer felt right.
At the time, I had just completed my work as Philadelphia’s Zero Waste and Litter Director and was preparing to cofound Circular Philadelphia, an organization focused on building a stronger circular economy. Yet there I was, facing the same problem as every other parent with an overflowing toy box.
We could store the toys, give them away or take them to a thrift store. Those were reasonable choices, but I couldn’t stop wondering if there was another way.
What if parents could get the toys their children wanted without permanently adding more things to their homes? What if toys could move easily from one childhood to another instead of spending years in a basement?
That Christmas drive became the beginning of Unless Kids.
Finding Another Way
My collaborator, Blake Carroll, and I created Unless Kids to make buying and returning preowned toys feel as easy as shopping online for new ones.
Parents selected toys from our website and placed them into a digital “toy chest.” We delivered their choices directly to their homes. When a child outgrew a toy or lost interest in it, the parent could return to the site and choose something different. During the next delivery, we brought the new toys and collected those the family no longer wanted.
New toys came in. Old toys went out. Children had something new to discover, parents regained some space and the toys continued on to another home.
We weren’t trying to convince families to stop buying toys. We were creating a different way for them to enjoy those toys without repeating the same cycle of clutter and waste.
Unless Kids grew throughout Philadelphia, and interest began spreading across the region. Parents responded because it solved a problem they had felt but didn’t always know how to name.
Then we discovered a problem of our own.
When the Available Tools Don’t Fit
From the customer’s perspective, Unless Kids felt simple. Behind the scenes, it was anything but simple.
Every toy had to be received, identified, evaluated, priced, photographed, listed, stored, delivered and sometimes returned to begin the process again. Each toy was unique, with its own condition and value.
Most traditional retail systems were designed for large quantities of identical new products. They weren’t built for resale businesses managing one-of-a-kind items from many different homes.
The available tools expected us to operate like a traditional retailer, but resale doesn’t operate like traditional retail.
Once again, the old way didn’t fit.
We could have forced our business into a system that wasn’t designed for it. Instead, we returned to the question that had started Unless Kids.
What if there were another way?
Building What Was Missing
We began by creating a better process for toy intake. That solution eventually became CircaOS, a resale operations platform designed to manage preowned, one of a kind inventory.
CircaOS captured product information, applied our pricing rules, created online and in store listings, tracked individual items and connected with our point-of-sale system.
Intake became faster. Pricing became more consistent. Team members spent less time searching for information and more time serving customers.
We built the technology because Unless Kids needed it. But we soon recognized that we weren’t the only ones trying to make old systems perform work they were never designed to do.
Consignment, thrift and resale stores face this challenge every day. Whether they sell clothing, furniture, sporting goods, luxury accessories or household items, every unique product must be evaluated, priced, listed and tracked before it can be sold.
Store owners have built successful businesses using experience, instinct and determination. But determination shouldn’t have to compensate for technology that doesn’t understand resale.
Following the Bigger Opportunity
By 2025, we were running a consumer toy business while developing technology with the potential to serve resale businesses across the country. We cared about both, but we couldn’t give each one the attention it deserved.
After the 2025 holiday season, we made the difficult decision to pause Unless Kids and focus on growing CircaOS.
It was hard to step away from a service our customers valued. But Unless Kids had shown us something bigger. The opportunity wasn’t only to move toys between Philadelphia families. It was to give resale businesses better tools to keep more products in circulation everywhere.
Unless Kids wasn’t a failed experiment or a detour. It allowed us to see what was missing.
Innovation doesn’t always begin with a grand idea. Sometimes it begins with an ordinary problem and the realization that the way we’ve always done something no longer works or feels right.
The resale industry was built by people who understand that. They look at an item someone else has finished using and see remaining value. They look at an old problem and imagine another way forward.
Finding the NARTS community has made our work even more meaningful because its members have been seeing possibilities others overlook for decades.
The future of resale will belong to those willing to ask: Does it have to be done the old way, or is there a better way waiting to be built?