Old Town Alexandria's consignment stores are seeing a thriving business thanks to shoppers looking for unique and vintage pieces as well as bargains.

BeautyFull Boutique, established in June, has managed to bloom by filling a void in the consignment market.  Owner Camille Leverett was inspired to leave her corporate job to open the boutique after experiencing challenges to find shops that would take her plus-size clothing.  She thought there might be other women having the same experiences, and she was right.  Locally, there was nothing on the market for plus-sized women who had beautiful clothing they wanted to consign.  

"I wanted a nice space that would be upscale and modern," she said of her boutique.  Leverett approached the other consignment shops to introduce herself and to tell them about her concept when she was opening the store. They all thought it was a great idea.  She lauded the camaraderie rather than competition that exists between shops. They refer people specifically looking for plus-sized clothing to her, and she in turn refers people who come to her shop with smaller sizes to them. 

Customers come and return often because they know inventory changes frequently.  Her store has a wide selection of apparel, from casual and business to more elegant attire.  There are also accessories like bags and jewelry.  

Because the boutique is so new, Leverett is currently observing and assessing the market, she does, however, see a strong demand for consigning.

Demand on the Rise

Carmen Lopez, who owns Current Boutique, decided to open a store in Old Town a little more than a year ago because she also saw increasing demand for consignment clothing. Her Arlington, Va., store has been open for three years. 

Current Boutique Manager Kat Hernandez said the consignment business is flourishing in the Washington, D.C., area.  She says it's partly because she does not require appointments for customers to bring in items. Additionally, her store does not stock anything that's more than two years old, which appeals to a range of ages from young students to seniors.

The trendy boutique does carry some new merchandise from New York and Los Angeles.  A local designer's vintage-inspired jewelry, Glittery Blue, is also available. "The vintage business is here to stay; even as the economy improves people will continue to appreciate good deals and feeling like they've gotten their money's worth," Hernandez said.

Burgeoning Niche

Cindy McCartney, owner & CEO of Diva, a consignment boutique open since 2006, agreed.  McCartney said, "The consignment business is growing and here to stay."  The former New York cosmetic executive and a big shopper said she'd always wanted to open a business and thought of the consigning because she often bought things she never wore.  She knew she wanted a boutique setting and found Old Town to have the right environment. 

Like the other consignment store owners, she found that people have become more open to consigning. Once they discover it, customers find they enjoy the hunt for that perfect item and wonder why they paid so much more before, she said.  

McCartney said the recession is conducive to consignment shopping.  Customers do not want to give up nice things but they can't spend the way they did before. 

Ginney Barlow, owner of Encore Consignment Boutique, agreed with McCartney. However, she said, based on assessing her business on a five-year curve, sales are not as strong as they were when she opened Encore in 1995.  Barlow acknowledged that sales have dropped for all businesses in general. Encore's clientele looks for designer items at lower prices.

Barlow says she is extremely careful about the items she selects for her shop. They must have great workmanship and be in excellent condition. She accepts designer-level items current within the last five years.

Barlow said that with the current push for people to be green in all they do, consignment shopping is a way to go.  Toni Henderson, owner of Mint Condition, a life-long bargain shopper and second generation consignment guru, said the same.  “Why would you pay retail when you can find a designer item in mint condition for a fraction the original price?” she said. 

Henderson said consigning is a win-win situation for the shopper and the consigner. The shopper saves and the consigner is compensated for items no longer in use.  Her boutique, opened 1 ½ years ago, accepts top designer labels in optimum condition.

Customer Latane Conant, who was visiting from Chicago, said: “Now that I’m consigning I know that if I get tired of items I have I can consign them. They are still worth something. They still have value.”