My Consignment Opens Locations In Fredericton And Saint John
FREDERICTON— Betty Blanchard’s biggest problem is that business is too good. My Closet Consignment is her second-hand retail store that works by accepting clothes by appointment. When wait times reached six-to-eight weeks, she knew something had to change.
“I kept tweaking the criteria: you can only bring in this many things, you can only have an appointment every 60 days, I’m not taking these brands anymore,” said Blanchard. “And yet I just got busier and busier.”
Her solution was to move her second-hand home decor store, My Home Consignment, to a bigger location, a 3400-square-foot building in the Corbett Centre. The new My Consignment, which opened November 1, stocks home decor and clothes.
She will keep her first store, My Closet, on the north side while the location on the south side will provide another place for people to bring in clothing.
“This is how I’m going to solve two issues,” said Blanchard. “Keep my home decor stock up and then alleviate the waiting list with My Closet.”
Blanchard is also planning on opening a My Consignment in East Point Saint John in mid-November. She said she will need a break after opening two stores in the same month.
“I’m super pumped to go into [Saint John],” said Blanchard. “I’m getting some really good feedback from the people in that city.”
Blanchards books appointments to drop off clothes clothing through her website, where she also has criteria about what she will accept. Consignors receive 40 percent of total sales.
“You’re in and out in 10 minutes,” said Blanchard. “And My Consignment is probably only about 15 minutes depending on how much home decor stuff you bring in.”
When accepting pieces for both stores, she said she isn’t looking for vintage but will accept some timeless pieces.
“I’m into the more modern, I’m into what you can walk into Winners and HomeSense and buy,” Blanchard said.
Blanchard said consignment shopping and thrifting were always a part of her, even before she opened My Closet Consignment in a 1600-square-foot building on the Northside four years ago.
She planned to open her second store, My Home, in March 2020, but 10 days before she was ready pandemic shutdowns began. Since My Home was a new business, it didn’t qualify for government substitutes. My Closet was doing well enough that it was able to cover My Home until it opened, in May 2020.
“I was lucky,” said Blanchard. “I was able to hold off some expenditures.”
When she first tried to buy a consignment store in Fredericton she was outbid but made a business plan that culminated in renting the space for My Closet.
“I call it my baby,” said Blanchard. “It’s where I started, it’s where the city just embraced me and the way of the north siders of Fredericton just love having that unique opportunity to come in the shop.”
Rachel Smith is an intern with Huddle. Send her story suggestions: [email protected].