An upscale Carytown consignment shop is getting a makeover.
The owners of Clementine plan to almost double the size of their 700-square-foot store at 3118 W. Cary St., expanding into the alley behind the shop to make room for more clothing and accessories.
Jane Crooks, co-owner of Clementine, said the store is bursting at the seams as it takes in new inventory from consigners.
“Our expansion will add about 650 square feet to accommodate more selling space, another dressing room and more space in the back for consignment and inventory,” she said.
Clementine carries women’s clothing, shoes and handbags. Many of the items are designer brands, such as Marc Jacobs, True Religion, J.Crew and Anthropolgie, but they also carry used items from Target and Forever 21.
Crooks runs the business with partners Lyn Page and Lesley Glotzl, who founded the shop in 2003. Page and Crooks bought the building from Glotzl in 2009.
Although she wouldn’t disclose revenue numbers, Crooks said the store has experienced growth every year since it opened.
“The recession forced people to look for new ways to earn income and save money,” she said.
Carytown seems to be capitalizing on Richmonders’ new sense of frugality.
Consignment store Ciao has operated for the past few years just down the road at 3130 W. Cary St., selling clothing, shoes and accessories on consignment at one-half to one-third of the original price.
The Hall Tree, a 35-year-old business on South Thompson Street, carries clothing and accessories for men, women, children and infants. It’s Hip to Be Round, a maternity boutique, has a consignment section in its new store.
Cabell House, yet another consignment store on Ellwood Avenue, sells furniture and home goods.
Clover, a kids clothing consignment store, sits right across the street from Clementine. Crooks and Page opened it last July after seeing demand from customers for a place to sell their kids’ clothes.
“The opening of Clover has really been our biggest source of growth this year,” Crooks said.
The consignment industry appears to be on the rise. There are more than 30,000 resale, consignment and thrift shops in the United States, according to the Association of Resale Professional’s website.
Resale has become a multibillion-dollar industry, and consignment has been growing 7 percent a year for the past two years.
Page and Crooks studied the expansion for a year.
Clementine will operate temporarily in the old Heroes & Ghosts building at 3025 W. Cary St. while renovating.
Clementine gives its consigners 50 percent of the revenue from each sale.
“We work mostly with women from Metro Richmond, [but] our customer and consigner base reaches as far as Colorado and Florida,” Crooks said.
The average price of a consigned item in Clementine is $34. High-end denim items are a consistent bestseller, averaging $79, she added.
In addition to the two stores, the partners also have a growing online business.
The shop hired SPB Studio and DCP Construction to build out the new space. The work is expected to be complete by October.
An upscale Carytown consignment shop is getting a makeover.
The owners of Clementine plan to almost double the size of their 700-square-foot store at 3118 W. Cary St., expanding into the alley behind the shop to make room for more clothing and accessories.
Jane Crooks, co-owner of Clementine, said the store is bursting at the seams as it takes in new inventory from consigners.
“Our expansion will add about 650 square feet to accommodate more selling space, another dressing room and more space in the back for consignment and inventory,” she said.
Clementine carries women’s clothing, shoes and handbags. Many of the items are designer brands, such as Marc Jacobs, True Religion, J.Crew and Anthropolgie, but they also carry used items from Target and Forever 21.
Crooks runs the business with partners Lyn Page and Lesley Glotzl, who founded the shop in 2003. Page and Crooks bought the building from Glotzl in 2009.
Although she wouldn’t disclose revenue numbers, Crooks said the store has experienced growth every year since it opened.
“The recession forced people to look for new ways to earn income and save money,” she said.
Carytown seems to be capitalizing on Richmonders’ new sense of frugality.
Consignment store Ciao has operated for the past few years just down the road at 3130 W. Cary St., selling clothing, shoes and accessories on consignment at one-half to one-third of the original price.
The Hall Tree, a 35-year-old business on South Thompson Street, carries clothing and accessories for men, women, children and infants. It’s Hip to Be Round, a maternity boutique, has a consignment section in its new store.
Cabell House, yet another consignment store on Ellwood Avenue, sells furniture and home goods.
Clover, a kids clothing consignment store, sits right across the street from Clementine. Crooks and Page opened it last July after seeing demand from customers for a place to sell their kids’ clothes.
“The opening of Clover has really been our biggest source of growth this year,” Crooks said.
The consignment industry appears to be on the rise. There are more than 30,000 resale, consignment and thrift shops in the United States, according to the Association of Resale Professional’s website.
Resale has become a multibillion-dollar industry, and consignment has been growing 7 percent a year for the past two years.
Page and Crooks studied the expansion for a year.
Clementine will operate temporarily in the old Heroes & Ghosts building at 3025 W. Cary St. while renovating.
Clementine gives its consigners 50 percent of the revenue from each sale.
“We work mostly with women from Metro Richmond, [but] our customer and consigner base reaches as far as Colorado and Florida,” Crooks said.
The average price of a consigned item in Clementine is $34. High-end denim items are a consistent bestseller, averaging $79, she added.
In addition to the two stores, the partners also have a growing online business.
The shop hired SPB Studio and DCP Construction to build out the new space. The work is expected to be complete by October.
The Hall TREE!