If somebody discovered a $7,000 Dior purse being offered for $1,700, they is likely to 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 area the place our gadgets are pre-owned,” Gabrielle says. “Our prospects should belief us and our stage of transparency. We deal with them like we might deal with our pals. We’d by no means steer them within the fallacious path on these things.”
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 12 months, after being named one of many Worldwide Franchise Affiliation’s Franchisees of the 12 months, 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 discovered constructing a trust-based enterprise.
Associated: Your Prospects Will not Belief You Until You Embrace These 5 Methods
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 designer Giambattista Valli. I am 58, and my husband owns auto physique retailers. 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 grow to be a 50-50 associate together with your mother?
I labored for a number of completely different firms, various from trend 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 largest challenges?
Dianne: The technical half was a giant studying curve. We use software program for every little thing: loading issues onto the web site, how we do issues with our consigners. Gabrielle actually knew that facet of it, however I knew the place we might make a revenue, how gadgets wanted to be priced, what the good luxurious gadgets can be if we might get them.
Gabrielle: I needed to be taught the entire names of the leathers, the sorts of purses, extra in regards to the luxurious facet of it, and the entire historical past behind the luxurious gadgets and luxurious manufacturers. We now have a really savvy buyer base.
Associated: 5 Methods to Construct Model Buyer Belief (and Why It Issues Extra Than Ever Earlier than)
How do you achieve these savvy prospects’ belief with pre-owned gadgets?
Dianne: Individuals will attain out to us through DMs. They’re going to contact us via Instagram. One buyer purchased a $2,000 bag from us and requested us for a video on the right way to change the strap. One other one requested us to take a photograph of one thing in a bag. We’re very private with our prospects and our consigners on so many ranges. We’ll take that video for them.
Is that sort of customer support completely different from what your opponents supply?
Gabrielle: Very completely different.
Our prospects aren’t simply our followers. We consistently get feedback thanking us for serving to them. I really feel like the one manner we get to that stage of feedback is when you find yourself so near your prospects.
Dianne: And since Gabrielle is my daughter, we’ve insane belief between us. We now have the identical objectives for this enterprise, and we work so onerous. It is such an unbelievable labor of affection.
Do you ever meet your prospects in individual?
Dianne: Sure, once we do pop-up retailers. We did occasions at a rustic membership, a boutique, and a few spas. Many of the girls who get Botox and spa therapies are prepared and keen to purchase luxurious gadgets.
That feels like a target-rich atmosphere for refilling your inventory too.
Dianne: A few of these girls have such large collections, they’re giving up their baggage 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.
