Poppies Resale Boutique Pops Right Into Town; Soon To Support Other Mom-Owned Businesses Including Photographer And Crunchy Clean

Poppies, a resale boutique for children’s clothing, popped up at 114 Bradley Road earlier this month.

Only three weeks ago partners Cathy Moore and Darcy Sordo, who also own Spoiled Rotten Rentals in Clinton, gave birth to the idea of a resale boutique in Madison. 

“The space came available and my partner Darcy and I said, ‘Wow, let’s do a resale boutique.’ It’s kind of the new trend that’s starting to pop up,” explained Moore. The store has scheduled a grand opening celebration at the store this Thursday night from 5 to 7 p.m.

Spoiled Rotten Rentals rents out baby equipment such as cribs, highchairs and strollers to grandparents and those who rent summer homes.

Cash or credit, on the spot

“A lot of people are tired of consignments where they have to bring in clothes and wait 30, 60 or 90 days to get paid. A lot of the consignment stores will offer 40 percent (a 40/60 split), but if your product doesn’t sell, you’re down to a lot less than 40 percent,” said Moore.

She explained the Poppies twist on consigning: “Basically what people do, when they’re coming in with their bags of clothing – they have to be new, in perfect condition – we offer them cash or store credit on the spot.” 

There are two tiers. For in-season clothing (right now considered spring and summer), which is clean, wrinkle-free and on hangers,  and which only needs tagging and hanging, the seller receives 35 percent of the cash resale value or 40 percent store credit.

“Right there, they’re almost getting exactly what they would get on consignment and we take all the risk,” says Moore. 

Done and out of their hands

“They don’t have to worry about whether it’s going to sell, how much am I going to get, whether I'll have to go back and get it before they donate it. It’s just kind of done and out of their hands,” she added.

For in-season clothing that comes in clean but in bags or bins, the seller receives 30 percent cash or 35 percent store credit.

At least for now, sizes range from 0 months to size 10 plus.   

“We’re going to see how that sells. I have a teenager and my partner has a teenager, and they’re kind of particular about what they wear,” she points out. 

And, Poppies offers a mix of new and old. “So, if you’re looking for a gift, a baby item, we have new items – little toys that are brand new and marked 50 to 60 percent off retail. We’ve got hats, children’s shoes, American Girl doll clothing,” Moore says.

Premium and designer clothes, with emphasis on brand names

The clothing is for both boys and girls and is all brand-name. “We’re premium and designer. It’s more of a couture-boutique type store,” she explained. 

“You’re really walking into a boutique setting – it’s a new twist on consignment and it’s completely unlike anything you’ve seen before,” she says.

The ceiling is painted poppy-red, of course. “It’s very fun in here. It’s all brand-new and clean. We have everything in baskets. It’s well decorated and designed,” says Moore. 

The name “Poppies” came from Moore’s head. She explains, “We wanted to do something that was fun and childlike but gender neutral. We wanted something short and concise. A poppy is fun and bright. The flower stands for friendship and loyalty. It just seemed to be the perfect fit.” 

The business will be supporting local mom-owned businesses.  A children’s photographer will use space as her gallery, and another business to be showcased soon is Crunchy Clean, an all-natural, organic detergent for cloth diapers and family laundry. 

The next step is an online store found on Poppies' website, www.poppiesboutique.com 

Poppies can be found at 114 Bradley Road and is open from 10am until 5:30 pm Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The store is open from noon until 4pm on Sunday. On Thursday, Poppies is open from 10am until 7pm, with Moms Night Out with different specials each week from 5pm until 7pm.