If somebody discovered a $7,000 Dior purse being offered for $1,700, they may be suspicious. That is why, for mother-daughter duo Dianne and Gabrielle Melillo, the consignment enterprise is not nearly good merchandise. It is about belief.
“We work in a discipline the place our gadgets are pre-owned,” Gabrielle says. “Our clients should belief us and our stage of transparency. We deal with them like we’d deal with our mates. We’d by no means steer them within the unsuitable path on this stuff.”
The Melillos are franchisees with Season 2 Consign, a model that sells secondhand items in individual and on-line. They opened their first territory in 2023 in central New Jersey (a territory is their assigned area for sourcing items), and this yr, after being named one of many Worldwide Franchise Affiliation’s Franchisees of the Yr, they opened a second territory in northern New Jersey — making them Season 2 Consign’s first multi-unit house owners. Right here, they share what they’ve realized constructing a trust-based enterprise.
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Dianne, why did you resolve to open a Season 2 Consign franchise?
I spent a few years working because the nationwide gross sales director of North America for high-end European clothier Giambattista Valli. I am 58, and my husband owns auto physique outlets. He made me suppose that I needed to personal my very own enterprise. I used to be promoting and shopping for my very own luxurious gadgets on the secondary market. When Season 2 Consign introduced on Instagram that they had been going to begin franchising, I jumped on it.
Gabrielle, why did you resolve to turn into a 50-50 associate along with your mother?
I labored for a number of completely different firms, various from style to lip balms. I knew about e-commerce as a result of I ran the businesses’ web sites. I am 31, and I stop my job to do that. I needed to begin my very own enterprise as effectively.
What had been your greatest challenges?
Dianne: The technical half was a giant studying curve. We use software program for all the pieces: loading issues onto the web site, how we do issues with our consigners. Gabrielle actually knew that side of it, however I knew the place we may make a revenue, how gadgets wanted to be priced, what the nice luxurious gadgets can be if we may get them.
Gabrielle: I needed to be taught the entire names of the leathers, the sorts of purses, extra concerning the luxurious side of it, and the entire historical past behind the posh gadgets and luxurious manufacturers. We now have a really savvy buyer base.
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How do you achieve these savvy clients’ belief with pre-owned gadgets?
Dianne: Folks will attain out to us through DMs. They will contact us by means of Instagram. One buyer purchased a $2,000 bag from us and requested us for a video on how one can change the strap. One other one requested us to take a photograph of one thing in a bag. We’re very private with our clients and our consigners on so many ranges. We are going to take that video for them.
Is that sort of customer support completely different from what your opponents provide?
Gabrielle: Very completely different.
Our clients aren’t simply our followers. We always get feedback thanking us for serving to them. I really feel like the one method we get to that stage of feedback is if you end up so near your clients.
Dianne: And since Gabrielle is my daughter, we’ve insane belief between us. We now have the identical targets for this enterprise, and we work so laborious. It is such an unimaginable labor of affection.
Do you ever meet your clients in individual?
Dianne: Sure, once we do pop-up outlets. We did occasions at a rustic membership, a boutique, and a few spas. Many of the ladies who get Botox and spa remedies are prepared and prepared to purchase luxurious gadgets.
That seems like a target-rich setting for refilling your inventory too.
Dianne: A few of these ladies have such huge collections, they’re giving up their luggage that they do not use anymore. That is principally the place we get our stock. These occasions — a few of them have been actually wonderful for us.
