Sorella Restyle is Win-Win for Consignors and Shoppers Alike

The success of popular consignment sales events such as those by the Just Between Friends children's and maternity franchise has not gone unnoticed by the many parents - many of them women - who shop them.

Given how quickly children outgrow a particular size, parents would feel a much more significant dent in their wallets if they relied solely on retail stores to replace their children's wardrobe. These consignment events give parents a chance to clear out things their children have outgrown and make some money at it, as well as to purchase items that were gently used or even new at below retail prices.

And this kind of opportunity should not just be limited to children's items, said friends Kristina Inkster and Shawn Marie Zieglmeier, who are launching their inaugural Sorella Restyle consigning event at The Manor located at 427 N. Meridian in Puyallup from May 9 to May 11, tailored toward the needs of women.

Women acquire clothing and accessories in any number of ways but a wardrobe is never static. Styles change, and often, "our sizes are always changing too," Zieglmeier said.

Consequently, women often donate their excess items, but what if they could make some money from it first? At the same time, haven't you always wanted to raid your stylish friends' closets to snag a few unique pieces for your own wardrobe?

Here's where Sorella Restyle comes in.

Zieglmeier actually credits a similar enterprise in Wisconsin, Divine Consign, as the inspiration for Sorella though both were based on the Just Between Friends model.

She also notes that there was a similar consignment event in Seattle called Smartie Pants Events but there currently does not appear to be new events coming up through them.

The friends flew to Wisconsin last fall for a 'boot camp' of sorts to learn the ins and outs of duplicating the model here in Washington, and after a few months to start up, they are looking forward to their first consignment event next month.

They launched their website www.sorellarestyle.com on March 17 and have since begun to accumulate inventory in earnest for the big event.

What's In It for Shoppers

Among brands that will be featured are Hudson Jeans, BCBG, Nordstrom, Joe's Jeans, Free People, Tulle, True Religion, Chico's and CAbi.

The economy may be showing signs of turning around, but practically, many people have not yet felt those positive effects and continue to find ways to save where they can. A consignment sale offers economical deals while embracing the Northwest ideal of reuse - or to use a more fashionable term: "restyle," said Zieglmeier.

Sorella Restyle aims to make the shopping experience an easy one, said Inkster, who admits to normally shopping retail because she doesn't have the patience to dig through bargain bins. Items will be categorized and displayed by size, season and color for easy shopping.

If you are hesitant to purchase second-hand clothes, Inkster encourages you to simply come and have a look. Shoppers do have to pay a nominal $2 admission fee if they don't have a promotional postcard for the event, however. "What I love about Design Consign's sales was it was easy," she said. "It make it shopping friendly, and I got exactly what I was looking for."

One more thing: the first 300 shoppers receive extra swag bags.

What's In In for Consignors

If you have items you'd like to put into the event, Inkster and Zieglmeier are currently accepting apparel and accessories for all seasons. 

In contrast to traditional consignment options at a store location, a consigner event such as Sorella Restyle offers consigners a higher percentage. According to Zieglmeier, they are offering consigners a minimum of 60 percent of the proceeds from the sales with a possibility to earning up to 75 percent if they also volunteer at the event.

The lack of overhead costs because they don't have a traditional store location makes this possible. "This feels like such a win-win situation," Zieglmeier said.

Consignors would log into www.sorellarestyle.com for all the information and supplies needed to start categorizing and tagging their items for the sale. The merchandise is organized by a barcode system which in the long run saves time to be able to track specific merchandise to a specific consignor. 

Those who don't want to fuss with tagging can also simply hand their merchandise over, but they'd receive a different percentage of proceeds.

Consignors who may have other plans for items that don't sell can also specify if they'd like the items back, if they'd OK having them donated or if they'd be willing to sell them at 50 percent off during the last day of the sale on Saturday, May 11.

Zieglmeier points out that there have been groups who have pooled their items together to consign and those collective earnings go toward a fundraising effort. "It seems like there's a lot of people who want to do good," she said. "They get passionate about a cause but they get stuck on fundraising."

The deadline for consignors - individuals and groups - to register for the event is Sunday, May 5. 

Bonus Opportunities for Volunteers, Teachers and Weight Loss Folks

Zieglmeier and Inkster encourage consignors to volunteer, but those who aren't providing merchandise are also welcome. Each volunteer who is not a consignor earns a $20 gift certificate for the event for every four hours they volunteer.

Teenagers and college students wanting some extra money or business experience would be perfect for such a role, said the women.

Volunteers also receive a presale pass to shop early.

Two other groups of people are also welcome to the presale on Wednesday, May 8. Zieglmeier and Inkster said they want to honor local teachers as well as women who are making a healthy change in their lives by participating in a weight management program by giving them first dibs on the sale merchandise.

Teachers in the Puyallup and Sumner school districts should have received VIP passes already for that night; if not, teachers from all school districts, as long as they bring their badges, will be invited in to the early event. Similarly, those in a weight management program simply need to show a membership card.

"Teachers, unfortunately, are using a lot of their funds to pay for their classrooms," Zieglmeier said. "We want to be able to give back. We want to be able to bless the community."

The Other Details

Sorella Restyle is also inviting vendors to inquire about promoting their businesses at the event, including placing advertising in the limited swag bags that go to the first 300 shoppers.

A second event is already planned for October 22 through October 26, also in Puyallup. They are researching options to add another event in the north end as well.

Catch them at the next Just Between Friends event in Puyallup. 

Meanwhile, follow Sorella Restyle on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/SorellaRestyle and read their FAQ addressing questions from consignors, shoppers, volunteers and more at www.sorellarestyle.com.