By Kalie Grimplin
Summer is almost upon the Eastern Shore. While money is still tight, new summer clothes must be purchased on a budget. At Babies in Bloom and Blooming Deals, a consignment shop located in Centreville, customers can save money and still look fabulous. Resale and consignment shops, like Blooming Deals, have become more popular in the last couple years. They are the new boutiques of the budget and earth conscious.
Dawn Schultz started Babies in Bloom in 2002 along with her mother. “I wanted something I could do on my own time, and also provide a service to the community,” says Dawn of her reasons for starting the store. Consignment has been part of her life since she was young, and the love she acquired for it is reflected in the success of the store.
The first couple years were difficult for Dawn and Mandy Jones, who became a co-owner in 2005, but steadily business rose. Since the recession began at the end of 2007, the store has seen an even bigger increase—a growth of more than half in sales. A new larger location has also certainly effected business, but still Blooming Deals exemplifies the growth of the resale industry. The past couple years have seen a rise in interest in saving money and recycling.
The resale industry as a whole saw an increase in business in the past couple years. According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, there are currently 25,000 resale and consignment stores in US. The industry has seen a growth in the number of stores of 5% a year for three years, and 71.4% of those stores said their sales have increased. NARTS attributes this growth to the recession and society’s desire to be green and recycle.
Babies in Bloom and Blooming Deals helps their customers save money and recycle by selling gently used clothes at low prices. Consignors also make money by selling their used items. Blooming Deals combines donating to charities and going green with their bag program. When a customer declines a bag at checkout, she is given a token worth five cents to a charity. The token is placed in a bucket marked with that charities’ name. Customers love the idea and Dawn says it has been a success. “I believe last year we saved 500 and some bags from going to the land fill.”
Becky Coffelt, both a customer and a consignor, talks about why she loves resale, “I really like the fact that I am getting use out of clothing that it’s last owner was done with. I like the fact that it is being recycled. That’s why I take my old clothes to consignment stores.”
Blooming Deals is just one of the many consignment stores that has grown the past couple years. Even as the economy recovers, consignment shops can expect to keep their popularity. Shoppers will remain interested in finding a bargain, recycling, and discovering unique items.