Savvy Sister consignment sale expanding from Elmhurst to Schaumburg
The Savvy Sister women's pop-up consignment sale has exceeded expectations since it opened in Elmhurst four years ago, and now it's expanding to Schaumburg.
Co-founder Leslie Schlesinger said she and Sarah Link hoped they could get 20 women to sell their stylish gently used clothing during their first sale.
They got 50.
Since then, they've tripled the number of consignors participating in the fall version of the twice-yearly sale, which is set for Oct. 1 to 5.
But they've also hit space constraints within their venue at First United Methodist Church of Elmhurst at 232 S. York St., Schlesinger said.
"At some point we thought, we could either make this a monstrosity event," she said, "or we could make it more intimate and just open a second location."
Research on the sale's customers found many were coming from Arlington Heights and Schaumburg.
Savvy Sister opened a second location of the sale this spring in Arlington Heights, but Schlesinger said the setup wasn't big enough. That's why the sale's second location this fall is set to take place Nov. 5 to 9 in a vacant retail space next to Michael's at 1420 E. Golf Road in Schaumburg.
Schaumburg also is home to several children's pop-up consignment events, Schlesinger said, making a similar event for women's clothing seem like a need her business is primed to fill. Savvy Sister hopes the fall time frame will be popular for busy moms.
"We put ourselves second or last, sometimes. And honestly, when you get dressed up, you feel good about yourself. You feel confident and you go out there and you can do anything - you can just change the world. And we want women to feel like that," she said. "We want women to have the confidence and get the clothes they want without having to spend an arm and a leg."
The sale includes tops, pants, dresses, skirts and jackets as well as jewelry, shoes and purses.
The sale accepts cash or credit cards and it gives women a chance to touch and try on secondhand items - a chance they can't get online. Volunteers who work the fitting rooms are trained to be honest, yet kind, Schlesinger said, using a "praise, suggest, praise" style of advice if something doesn't look quite right.
"We don't want somebody to buy something and then have it end up in the back of their closet," Schlesinger said.
While the event is targeted toward adult women, Schlesinger said, some moms shop with teenage daughters and enjoy trendy finds without steep prices.
Both sales are free to attend, but Savvy Sister sells $15 tickets to a VIP night with each event for shoppers who want an early look at the largest selection.
The Elmhurst VIP night is 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, with regular sale hours 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 2 to 5.
The Schaumburg VIP night is 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, with regular sale hours 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 6 to 9.
On the third day of both sales, shoppers the store considers heroes - which Schlesinger described as teachers, nurses, doctors and "pretty much anybody who's got a badge" - get all items half-off. On the final two days, most items for all shoppers are half price.