Let's be honest, second-hand stores tend to have a rather blah reputation. You're guaranteed to find decade old prints, mom-jeans, and a plethora of stale scents. It also doesn't help that they're the primary source for "Ugly Sweater Party" attire.

These reasons and more were fuel for the fire for Endicott College alum Pam Hulbert, owner of Plum Consignment - Beverly's trendiest, cleanest, and most perfectly decorated consignment shop. Pam has completely hung up the consignment store stigma (pun intended) - you won't find any elastic-waist denim here! What you will find is chic, classic, and current pieces at a fraction of retail prices.




Looking like something out of a magazine with it's antique decorations, brick walls and industrial garment racks, Plum is more of an up-scale boutique than a second-hand shop. Another thing that sets Plum apart from traditional consignment shops: social media - they are constantly posting new inventory on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. They even have an online shop in the works that is set to launch in 2015!




Consignors have two options: stop by for "Walk-In Wednesdays" or book an appointment online (if you have more than 20 items). Sellers will receive a 10% discount on full priced items, and you can use the money you've earned from selling as store credit! Another perk for consignors: you'll receive an emailed list of exactly which items Pam and her staff picked, along with the price they will be tagged with. She'll also send you a link that keeps track of what items sell and how much you've made so far! #ChaChing



A place that allows me to shop and make money... what could be better?! Since I do both with Plum, I thought it would be fun to pick Pam's brain a bit - so I asked her a few questions.

Q&A

1) Tell us a little about yourself…
I grew up in CT and have a BFA in Visual Communications/Graphic Design from Endicott College (Class of 2002). I met my husband (who's from Hawaii) at Endicott and we’ve been married since 2010.

2. How did Plum start?
I wanted a better place to shop. As an avid consignment shopper I realized there were so many things lacking from the resale shopping experience. I focused my business model on cleanliness and organization, customer service, quality and an overall cohesive design. I've helped a lot of people realize that second hand shopping doesn't mean you're buying wrinkled, dirty clothes because you can't afford "new" things, it means you're a savvy and smart shopper that pays way less for brand name labels than your average mall shopper.

3. How did you come up with the name?
I wish I had a great story for how I came up with the name, but honestly I was checking my email one day and thinking of different words to use that were a bit different from your stereotypical consignment shop and “PLUM” popped into my head. My husband worked in a logo design and we went with it!

4. What sets Plum apart from other consignment shops?
I really wanted to take resale shopping to the next level. We offer a boutique shopping experience with thrift store pricing. We aren't just about taking in items and throwing them on the racks, we really try to create a consigning and shopping experience that is much better than our customer would expect from shopping at a resale store.

5. What would you say your biggest challenge is?
Expanding our footprint and consumer base. We want to make sure we keep our current loyal customers happy and excited about our product but are always looking for more ways to get new customers through our doors. It’s a challenge because peoples tastes/likes are constantly changing and you really have to be ahead of the curve to keep people interested in what you are doing. It’s an ongoing process that is fun and exciting but admittedly takes a lot of time and effort.

6. How about your biggest achievement?
Being able to improve upon our practices year after year. We’re so lucky to have a community that is involved and excited about our shop and always willing to offer praise and helpful suggestions to help us grow in a direction that’s beneficial to us and the community.

7. Describe your pricing process.
Items are priced based on style, quality and brand. We take into consideration how unique the item is and how much of demand we think there will be for it. We generally know what items sell for in the big box stores, so we price accordingly. If we get in a label that is new to us, we research it to see how similar items are selling. I typically price items at what I would be willing to pay for them and that formula really seems to work for us.

8. How do you decide what items to take?
If I like it, I take it, regardless of the label. Our customers love their J Crew, Anthropologie, Ann Taylor and Banana Republic, so these brands always sell well for us, but we take in hundreds of other brands as well. We don’t accept items that have stains, holes, broken zippers etc. As long as it’s cute, in style and we know our customers will like it, we take it. We tend to pass on more classic brands like Talbots and Chicos because it's typically not what are customers are looking for.

9. What is your favorite thing about the shop?
I love the fact that there’s so much opportunity for growth and we're always brainstorming new ways to improve on it and make it better for our customers and consignors.

10. Any advice for other young entrepreneurs?
Owning a business should be fun and exciting. You’ll certainly have those days that seem overwhelming, but if you don’t love what you are doing, is it really worth it? That’s a questions only you can answer. Owning a business will consume your life, but not in a bad way. You’ll always be thinking about ways to make it better and connecting with people that can help your grow. Your entire world becomes your resource for growth and you will find inspiration in the craziest of places and usually when you least expect it.

Thanks Pam! 



Address:
156 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA 01915

Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Wednesday: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday: Closed

Instagram: PlumConsignment
Twitter: PlumBeverly
Pinterest: plumbeverly

Note: This post has not been sponsored, I just genuinely enjoy shopping and consigning at Plum!
Big thanks to my beautiful friend Sarah Lord for helping with pictures.



Cheers!



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