I now have some of my pictures displayed at a wonderful children’s clothing consignment boutique in historic Ada Village: Village Kids. A huge part of a good picture are cute and unique clothes. Village Kids is a great place to go if you want something unique and stylish and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg. And when you need to get rid of your own clothes? Come back to Village Kids and they will sell them for you!
Below are some pictures from the store and an interview with Jessica who is one half of the mom duo who started this store!
Can you give us a brief introduction?
Village Kids Consignment Boutique is the dream come true for two local mom’s, Jessica Melson (Cascade) and Karen Barritt (Jenison). We met on an International on-line forum for boutique children’s clothing. We had no idea that we lived so close to one another and after discovering we both lived in the Grand Rapids area we became great friends! We both had the dream of starting an upscale children’s consignment store and with the support of our husbands and children and almost 2 years of pre-planning we opened the store on May 29th of 2009.
How did you get started with selling children’s clothes? Karen and I both started our selling career’s on Ebay. Karen specialized in higher end children’ clothing and I transitioned in selling women’s clothing about 3 years ago. However, my first love was always the boutique children’s clothing.
Why do you think Village Kids so popular? We only take certain brands, but more importantly it has to be in like new condition. Our shoppers know that when the come to our store, they will not have to wade through lesser brands to find the perfect piece.
You had an online store previously. What made you decide to open a store? Both Karen and I have always wanted to own our own business and with our shared passion for top quality children’s clothing this was the perfect fit! It is our partnership that gave us both the courage to move forward on pursuing our dream and making it a reality.
What advice do you have for persons’ interested in buying consigned clothes? The best thing about consignment shopping is that its never the same selection twice! We put out over 200 new pieces of clothing per week in all sizes!! You never know what you are going to find each time you come into the store!!
What advice do you have for persons’ interested in consigning clothes with your store? For our store, we never require an appointment! All you have to do is sort through your items for the better brands (Old Navy and above) in like new condition, fold them into a laundry basket/handled shopping bag and bring them in anytime we are open! It also helps if you take the time to button buttons and zip zippers. We hang and steam every item before it goes on the selling floor, there is no need for you to iron or hang your items. You will receive 40% of the final selling price and can get paid on demand as soon as an item sells! Plus we have an on-line account system where you can check your account from home and see every item that is either sold or still available, the pricing and your account balance!
What is your top-selling item? We have several! Overall, I would say the many of our shoppers are looking for both the high end, unique pieces (like Matilda Jane, Lilly Pulitzer, Oilily, Deux par Deux etc) and great deals on the everyday brands such as Gymboree, Gap and Children’s Place.
What can shoppers expect when they walk into your store? When you enter Village Kids you can expect to find a well organized shopping experience in a pleasant environment. We have a play area for the kids so mom’s can shop. Either myself or Karen are always in the store to assist you finding the perfect item. We also carry a large selection of hair accessories, locally made baby gifts and unique gift products.
Has your business changed due to the current economy? If yes, how? Our business has been doing great, despite the economic climate. By offering the best quality at the best prices we are offering smart mom’s a great way to save money while still keeping their kids dressed in current fashions. In addition, our consignor base has been growing with mom’s with high quality clothing that find consigning with us is so much easier than the hassle of a running their own sales.
What is your favorite clothing brand? I would have to say my favorite brand right now is Matilda Jane. I love the different fabrics and the large ruffle pants! Plus the clothing is so comfortable!!
Do you have a website? we sure do! www.villagekidsada.com
Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ada-MI/Village-Kids-Consignment-Boutique-of-Ada/86663743093?ref=ts
Thank you so much Jessica for the opportunity to display my pictures at Village Kids and the interview!
