Times-Dispatch on growth of consignment shops along Lakeside corridor
In an article on low-cost designs and the rise in thrift store shopping during tight economic times, the Richmond Times-Dispatch takes a look at the Lakeside corridor and at North Richmond’s Diversity Thrift and Salvation Army’s Goodwill store: The Lakeside area of Henrico County in recent years has become home to a cluster of resale shops, […]
In an article on low-cost designs and the rise in thrift store shopping during tight economic times, the Richmond Times-Dispatch takes a look at the Lakeside corridor and at North Richmond’s Diversity Thrift and Salvation Army’s Goodwill store:
The Lakeside area of Henrico County in recent years has become home to a cluster of resale shops, including Consignment Connection.
“Our volume has increased so much over the last four months,” said Phillip Zornes, who co-owns the Consignment Connection with Beth Forsyth and Sandy Bremer. The store is packed with furniture, kitchenware, wall art, knickknacks and other stuff. Some of the neater items that catch the eye right away — like a leopard print chair — get claimed quickly. Shoppers browsing on a recent morning checked out a dining room table with six chairs priced at $348, a sideboard for $175, a lamp for $15, with lots more like it in the same price range.
“Anything you buy used is going to be a lot cheaper than retail,” Dell Martin, a dealer at Consignment Connection, said one recent morning. As a dealer, he buys things to resell them. “I think more people are buying in places other than retail,” said Martin.
Shirley Cahoon drives to Consignment Connection at least once a month. It used to be once a week until gas prices skyrocketed. She brings stuff to consign and often turns right around and buys something.
“I was looking for a particular lamp shade. I found it here. You have to go through four times to catch everything,” said Cahoon…
…Diversity Thrift on Sherwood Avenue in Richmond has individual rooms dedicated to furniture, electronics, books, clothes, electronics and kitchenware.
At the Goodwill Industries thrift store off Chamberlayne Avenue, everything is in one big room. Other thrift stores in town are run by the Salvation Army, disabled veterans, hospital charities and other nonprofit groups. “I find children’s clothing, household items,” said Lee Anderson, as she pushed a shopping cart through the aisles at the Goodwill store. “I come in at least once a week.”
Because she is a regular, Anderson knows a good buy when she sees it and is quick to note if something is not competitively priced. When a store worker came back with a price check on a plastic storage container, Anderson thanked him and put the item back where she’d gotten it. One of her best purchases, she said, is a fox jacket she bought for $19.95. “I’ve worn it at least three times. I’ve gotten all kinds of compliments,” said Anderson.
“We thrive on our clothing sales,” said Serena Quarles, manager of the Goodwill store off Chamberlayne. Regulars know, too, that every week something is going on sale based on how long it has been in the store. For instance, everything with a purple sales tag might be half off one week, the next week it’s items with a yellow sales ticket. Charles Tisdale timed it so he was able to get an entertainment center for $15, half off the $30 original price.
“It was solid wood,” said Tisdale. “Most of the stuff made today is particle board.”
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