ROCKY HILL, Conn. — Consignment shopping is growing in popularity as people look for a way to freshen up their closets without breaking the bank.
We caught up with a local consignment shop owner to find out more about what is driving this new trend.
Barbara Capenera, the creator and owner of Uptown Consignment, said it is the smartest way to shop especially if you’re on a budget.
She started her business in 1991 and said at first she had to teach people about how consignment was different from thrifting.
Instead of just parting ways with their clothing, customers can earn a percentage of money from the sale of the products.
Capenera detailed how many shoppers are tired of trying to keep up with the everchanging trends in fast fashion and how there’s not much transparency about where and how fast-fashion clothing is produced.
“It's good for me as an owner to finally get to that point where people appreciate quality over quantity and spending less money for clothing that hasn't been used, and recycling and the environment,” Capenera said.
Uptown consignment vets all items before they make it to the sales floor, Capenera said they also consider whether it’s currently on-trend, the condition of the item, and they make sure clothing is freshly laundered and in-season.
Uptown Consignment sells women’s and men’s clothing, accessories, some home décor and even designer items.
“Vintage things like a Burberry jacket you can buy here where you'd never see that at a department store for less than $100 when it retailed for 600-700 dollars,” Capernera said. “Handbags are a big seller for us. People who can't afford to buy a new Louis Vuitton bag for example can come here and buy one for half or less than the original price of the bag, get one that's different or get one that's not made anymore.”
When it comes to handbags, they make sure you're getting the real thing instead of a phony bag, Barbara says they're the first in the state to have an Entrupy verification system that inspects different parts of the bag, and compares it to other authentic bags.
FOX61 producer Isabella Chan is a seasoned consignment shopper, thanks to her mom.
“She used to buy me a bunch of pieces from consignment shops and not tell me they were from consignment shops so that way I would wear them,” Chan said. “Eventually as I got older and I went to college and I was trying to save money, I was like mom where did you find me all of these great pieces? She was like the consignment shop, and I was like oh okay! Then, I started to go with her and I realized it's so much better to go consignment shopping than it is to try to buy something at a retail store.”
Chan likes that she can find unique pieces that make her outfits stand out, and she often finds great deals on brands like Madewell, Free People and Anthropology.
“Most of the time when I go shopping, I always try to be on the lookout for something that’s of better material,” Chan said. “Because of consignment shopping, things are at a lower price and try and think of would I pay for this at full price versus right now? Thinking in that mindset definitely helps me consider materials more. I think when I’m looking for certain materials, I want something that’s going to last me more than just a month or two or those 2 or 3 wears. I want something that’s going to last me up to 3 years, possibly even 10.”
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Symphonie Privett is an anchor and host of The Buzz at FOX61 News. She can be reached at sprivett@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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