High End Fashion at Unique Prices

Walk into the door of and the first impression you get may be that it is simply a meticulously organized shop filled with women’s clothing, shoes and accessories.

But look a little closer and suddenly you notice a fuchsia Catherine Malandrino selling at $59. That’s a lucky find, you may say, and finding that it is in your size you grab it because you believe that a shirt that will normally sell at a retail price of about $245 is certainly a steal. But then you also notice that in a nearby shoe rack, a patent Stuart Weitzman pump—regularly priced at about $270—is ticketed at $65. What is this place?

With pantsuits along the wall, tops situated in the center and blazers to catch your eye at the front of the store, Karen’s Consignment Boutique is a ladies’ designer merchandise boutique. Owner Karen Kaufman sells items that are current, so you will not find vintage finds here.

But you will see a red quilted Burberry coat for $275 and a classic chocolate brown Chanel quilted handbag for $1,495, a bargain considering those bags normally go for about $4,500.   

Kaufman said her goal is to “help people look like a million without spending a million.”

As a designer consignment store, Kaufman has a policy of acquiring items that are no older than three or four years old and are sold for at least $100 or $200 and above in retail stores. She resells the items in her shop for 20 percent of the retail price, with the consigners getting half of the profit.  

“Although it is previously owned, it’s our job to make sure the items are in perfect condition and doesn’t look like it’s been used,” she said. “A lot of people come here and ask us if we’re a used store because they can’t tell, and that is the best compliment we can get.”

She insists that when consignors bring their items in that everything must come in hangers and be as flawless as possible, meaning no spots, stains or significant alterations.

Kaufman said she relies on a core group of about 50 to 100 women who regularly bring items in every season.  Her store boasts more than 5,000 consignors and customers and gets new merchandise every day, if not every hour, she said.

The number of consigners who give to her store means that customers can expect a variety of sizes, price points and merchandise that are grouped into either spring-summer or fall-winter wear.

“If you find a lady who fits you perfectly—like for example you’re small on top and bigger on the bottom or vice versa—you can come in and we can look up her consignor number in the system in order to make it easier for you to shop,” she said. “You still need to try them on but you’ll get magnificent clothes that fit you perfectly.”

At the moment, Kaufman said, they are transitioning into the spring-summer season, which also means that customers can expect the end of season sale, where an additional 50 percent off is added to merchandise already reduced by 50 percent, a savings of about 90 percent of the retail value.

“We give all the merchandise a two-month selling period and what we don’t sell, the consignors either get back or we donate it to charity on the consignor’s behalf,” Kaufman said. “We give a lot to charity, which makes us also a great green recycling business.”

Kaufman has given to such charities such as The Hire Attire Boutique in New Brunswick, a store that helps women get back on their feet by helping them dress for job interviews, as well as the Vietnam Veterans of America, and churches and temples. For higher priced luxury goods, such as Chanel bags, Kaufman said she drops the price and tries to resell it for next season.

Kaufman’s business acumen and instinct for value stems from her years of working and making handmade leather jackets at Leathers For Less. After she graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Economics in 1987, she took over the business. 

“My old boss (at Leathers For Less) is a really good mentor (and) she had worked for department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales,” she said. “She really taught me the right way to do business.”

She opened Karen’s Consignment Boutique in August 1995 and while she claims she is no fashion guru, she said her love of interacting with customers is one of the factors that keeps her and her business going.

“If you’re smart, honest and fair, you get great relationships in business,” Kaufman said. “I have great customer relationships—they trust me, they respect my opinion and I’m very honest with them.”

As a business woman, she likens running her store to a final exam.

“You try to do your best and hopefully if you work really hard and you do the right thing, that you’re going to stay in business, but you never know,” she said. “But we’ve been here for 16 years, so we must be doing something right.”

Karen’s Designer Consignment Boutique is located at 336 Route 18 North in East Brunswick. For more information, visit http://www.karensconsignment.com.