BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Several entrepreneurs say investing in consignment stores helps not only them but consumers.
The person would bring an item for a store like Second Chic and Hertel Home Consignment Inc. to sell and profit from the item that’s sold.
“Consignment shops years ago were very small; there weren’t many of them. It’s all about people reselling the items they have bought,” says Dakota Follis-Ziarko, manager of Second Chic.
She says consignment shops can be different from your typical thrift store. Shops like hers refuse items and then bring them back to life.
“We style all of them. We colorize all of them,” Ziarko says. “We make pieces that people may not even think about putting together and then putting them together and making a whole new look.”
Setting up a new and approved clothing style brings revenue for both the consumer and business owner.
“It’s so sustainable in our community because we are keeping income here, so somebody brings their clothing,” she says. “And they use the money they get from here by paying their rent or for the co-op.”
The owner, Michael T. Chamberlain of Hertel Home Consignment, sells only furniture, and he says consignment stores like his help the planet.
“It’s about helping people downside, it’s about recycling, it’s about making amazing pieces of furniture that we don’t want to put in a landfill,” Chamberlain says. “It’s about saving this amazing furniture and letting people get quality furniture at an amazing price.”
Both consignment owners say receiving and selling their items hasn’t been challenging.
“We have pretty much everything from lamps to mirrors. Chamberlain says. “We don’t have mattresses, new or used; we might get into new mattresses someday.”
The manager of Second Chic also adds.
“It just feels better to shop small and to shop sustainably and keep money in our community,” Ziarko says.
