How to Open a Maternity & Children’s Consignment Shop

Business Overview:

Learn how to open a maternity & children’s consignment shop and help expectant mothers and new moms find the clothes, toys and accessories they’re looking for. Buying clothing can get expensive especially when you need a new size every few weeks. That’s the reality for pregnant women when shopping for maternity wear. And expectant mothers need an entirely new wardrobe in various sizes that will get them through nine months of work, play, sleep and exercise. Likewise, mothers of growing children can appreciate how quickly their kids outgrow an article of clothing and it’s back to the store for a bigger size. This is why consignment shops are such great business ideas and why you should look into opening one that caters to pregnant women and moms. After a baby is born, the mother soon returns to her pre-pregnancy size and her maternity wardrobe goes into a box where it sits and gathers dust. Meanwhile a newly pregnant woman is facing months of buying new clothes that she will only need for a short time. Why not have a place that benefits both of these women and makes you a profit as well? Unlike a resale store that purchases items up front from the seller, selling maternity clothing on consignment means a woman would give you her maternity wear and when you sell it, you would pay her a portion of the profit. Same concept for children’s clothing – moms would bring in clothes their kids had outgrown, you would sell it and give them a portion of the sale. Consignment is a great way for people to get items out of their homes and make some money on the side. Owning a consignment shop means that you don’t have to buy anything to sell and everything you do sell will earn you a profit. And there are many other items other than clothing that you can sell at your consignment shop. Toys and baby gear like bouncers, high chairs, car seats, etc. are items that typically take up space in parents’ homes and they are glad to sell them when their kids outgrow them. Market your business in local parenting magazines and in the newspaper. Put fliers up in grocery stores, libraries, parks, fitness centers and anywhere you know expectant moms and new moms gather. Contact any moms you know and ask if they will bring you some of their old items to stock your store and attract customers. Have a clear consignment policy drawn up so you can easily explain how the system works and when your consignors can expect to be paid. Designer maternity clothing and kids’ clothes are expensive. Giving customers the opportunity to buy gently used items at a major discount will bring your business major profits.

A Day in the Life of a Maternity & Child Consignment Shop Owner:

You will spend the majority of your day helping customers find items they are looking for. You will also accept items from consignors (either by appointment or you can accept walk-ins) and you will process these items and get them on the floor for sale. You will contact consignors when their items sell and arrange payment to them. At the end of the day you’ll want to attend to your finances and close up your shop.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals looking for high quality, gently used maternity and children’s clothing, baby gear and accessories. You will also work with individuals wanting to sell their items on consignment.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Storefront
• Starter inventory of items (yours or from friends)
• Marketing plan and materials
• Staff (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• There will always be a market for discounted maternity wear and children’s items.
• Since you don’t have to purchase the items up front, your sales are all profit (some of which goes to the owner of the items).
• Franchises are available to help you get started.
• You are likely to see repeat customers who buy items and then bring them back to sell on consignment later.
• You don’t need any training or experience to start a consignment shop.

The Bad:

• The start-up investment is relatively high.
• You will need to build your inventory before you can expect to sell any items.

Resources:

• Association of Resale Professionals
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Clothing, Accessory and General Merchandise Stores
• Wikipedia on Consignment

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