Consignment shops draw diverse crowd of customers

Long Island Business News, Apr 26, 2002 by Adina Genn

On any given day, the visitors to Time & Again, a Port Washington consignment shop, are as diverse as the mix of nearly new merchandise proprietor Cecilia "Cece" Renga carries. There is a professional, laptop over his shoulder, eyeing a Hugo Boss suit; a returning-to- work mom examining a Liz Claiborne blazer; a teen sorting through vintage racks; a neighborhood woman collecting her earnings. And on occasion, city-folk from resale shops in Manhattan pop in and buy out the artsy belts, shoes and dresses.

Time & Again is an 800-square-foot store that Renga describes as "eclectic leaning toward Victorian, with an abundance of merchandise." Although there may still be a stigma associated with shopping "resale," Renga finds that is less so since opening her shop in 1995.

The evidence? Disregarding the post-9/11 spell, Renga realizes a 3 percent increase in revenue per season, perhaps because of the economy or maybe because of the following she's built. And Renga continues her quest to attract buyers and sellers and appeal to the middle class and others watching their budgets.

"Consignment shops are a way to recycle things, utilize them longer. It's environmentally sound," Renga says.

Like most resale shops, Time & Again splits the proceeds with the consignor. In her case, the split is 60/40. It is one of 15,000 resale shops across the country, according to Michigan-based National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops with membership that has been growing at 10 percent a year.

That growth directly reflects the change in attitude by the public, association officials say. Once clouded by an image of dark, musty junk stores, resale shops today typically are brightly lit and scented with potpourri. Customers are savvy shoppers who love saving money and discovering unique, and very often, designer items. New resale shops open each week as more people see the industry as inflation-proof in an uncertain economy.

Renga understands the industry well. A former stay-at-home mom, she extended her time at home longer thanks to the savings she realized shopping resale. By volunteering at her church's thrift shop, Renga learned how to run a shop and dreamed of opening one of her own.

She began scouting locations on Port Washington's Main Street and read up on the industry.

Meanwhile, a children's consignment shop opened on Main Street.

"The bottom fell out of my heart," Renga says. "I thought, 'There goes the dream." Nevertheless, Renga persisted, figuring she'd open a woman and children's shop and capture a larger market.

She found a 500-square-foot location on Manorhaven Blvd., about a mile away from Main Street. There were a few scattered shops, a church and a senior center, and steps away, a town pool and Manhasset Bay. Though the neighborhood didn't get nearly the traffic that Main Street brought, the rents were lower and the parking better.

Opening Time & Again cost Renga almost $4,000 for insurance and a few months of advance rent. She didn't spend a dime on inventory.

Renga met the market's needs. When a steady stream of workmen visited after shopping at the adjacent hardware store, she converted her storage section into a men's department, selling $10 jeans.

But the space was small. So in 1998, armed with $1,000 from the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District, she relocated a few doors down.

"Cece brings good ideas to the community with bubbly enthusiasm," says Bill Solomon, a director of the BID. "She provides an outlet for people to convert used clothing to cash or to some good, and an opportunity for customers to buy preowned clothes and accessories."

Renga's business operations parallel the principles of the resale industry itself. Several part-timers work through a barter arrangement, mostly clothes in exchange for labor.

Mirjana Ristic has worked with Renga two-and-a-half years. "People like buying inexpensively. There's brand new stuff you can get for very little money and kids' stuff for almost nothing. Cece has nice words for everybody. I haven't met anyone else like her."

Renga's friend helps dress the nostalgic windows. Her family pitches in with the rest: setting up spreadsheets, developing sales projections, working in the store and creating the store's sign.

She's become a Ms.-Fix-It, climbing on ladders to repair awnings after she watched a "professional" do it.

That's not to say there haven't been setbacks.

"When we experience growth, the rent goes up," she says.

There's also the matter of driving traffic to the neighborhood. For a time a nearby restaurant did well, but then closed. And, next door, a woman began paying rent while converting the space for a preschool - applying for permits, and installing alarms, cubbies, sinks, even a playground. Renga was thrilled at the prospect of young parents and children visiting the store only to find the "For Rent" sign in the window again.

So Renga draws on her ingenuity to entice buyers. Her classified ads under "Garage Sales" tell brides to save thousands on their wedding dress and use the money instead to buy a house. There are bridal windows and prom windows to match the seasons. She marks the never-worn garments carrying original store tickets as "gift items."