Designer Consigner opens in Rehoboth
Stacks of polo shirts in spring colors greeted shoppers and preferred labels like Chanel, Coach and St. John stocked the shelves when the upscale Designer Consigner boutique opened recently in Rehoboth Beach.
It's a second location for owner Michele Scott-Costas, whose flagship store is in Hockessin. Her new store, on First Street near Baltimore Avenue, is open on weekends, and Scott-Costas says she hopes it will grow the pool of 1,600 consigners whose items already crowd her sales floor with designer labels. The new store also gives her a chance to bring great deals to high-end fashionistas at the beach.
“Some of the shoes are amazing,” Scott-Costas said of the Lilly Pulitzer flats and Kate Spade wedges on her racks. “When you buy nice clothes, especially something very striking, you can only wear it so many times before people notice. Here you can turn it over for a couple bucks."
A venue like this is made for a shopper's shopper like Arleen Laporte, a Lewes resident who brought merchandise to sell at Designer Consigner on opening weekend.
Laporte said she was visiting her sister one weekend when she stopped in the Hockessin store and immediately was hooked. She said she shops for brand-name label merchandise, but after one or two wears, she needs to free up closet space. If she can get a return on her investment, all the better.
"We like to hit the consignment shops, and Designer Consigner is our favorite because of the brand-name, quality items and good prices," Laporte said. "I do like to shop so it behooves me to consign so I can continue to shop."
Along with some of her merchandise from the Hockessin store, Scott-Costas also brought her mother, Vicki Montague, a presence who can compare and contrast the most elite designers and appears to have taught her daughter the trade.
“Women still like to look nice and dress nicely,” Montague said. “Even in a bad economy you can pick up something here.”
And the opposite sex can beef up their wardrobes at the new store too. Scott-Costas said she is particularly excited about the potential growth and expansion of her men’s section at the new store.
Looking forward to an April Consignment Crawl in New York City that she sponsored at her flagship store, Scott-Costas said she is also looking forward to developing personal relationships with a whole new, like-minded clientele.
"When you love to shop at a good price, this is what you seek," Laporte said. "It's a win-win."
For more information, visit the Designer Consigner website at www.designerconsignerde.com.
