Clothes Mentor opens in Algonquin and Batavia
There is a new business along the Randall Road corridor where women can sell clothes they no longer wear, no longer fit into, or just never liked. And then other women can snatch those clothes up at resale prices.
Clothes Mentor opened this month in Algonquin, while another location opened last month in Batavia at 79 S. Randall Road.
The store is a resale shop for women of all sizes, with clothes ranging from zero to 26 in petites, maternity and more. Clothes Mentor also sells shoes, jewelry, purses, hats and other accessories.
"It's going to be a little bit of a higher-end resale shop, with a lot of the great brands we all love," said Tina Donaldson, Clothes Mentor's district manager.
The items, she said, are organized more like a retail store than a resale shop. The clothes and accessories are all sorted and sold by sizes and colors.
"It's going to be an easy shopping experience for you," she said.
Presently, Clothes Mentor is buying and selling clothes at its Batavia location. However, it is only buying clothes at the Algonquin store, 117 S. Randall, in preparation for its grand opening June 28, when the store also will begin selling items.
"We're in the process of filling up our store," Donaldson said. "We are buying daily. People can stop in any time to sell."
At both stores, you can bring your clothes in to sell any time. You do not need an appointment.
If the store decides to buy your items, you get cash on the spot. It is not a consignment store, she said.
Donaldson said the store buys clothes that are in good condition and fashionable. It has many higher-end brands such as Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, Lane Bryant, Michael Kors and more. She also said the store sells many Coach purses.
"We do take all brands though," she said. "Our first concern is style. We like to make sure the style is current in the last 18 months to two years."
So far, she said, many new customers have found the Batavia location and are coming back as regulars. She hopes the same will happen in Algonquin.
After the Batavia store opened, Donaldson said, Clothes Mentor representatives took a drive down Randall and decided to open another spot.
"We thought this is a great area with some great businesses and some shopping centers with stores we like to purchase clothes from," she said. "I'm really excited we're going to be in this area.
"We're hoping people will go through their closet and bring clothes in for us to buy," she said.
• Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Batavia. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.