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It’s an open secret that we love doing interviews with other sellers because it gives us a reason to learn things we don’t know. Why else would someone talk to us and answer our every question for over an hour?
This week we talk to Jenny Davis of Haberdashery Resale Clothing Co. in Portland Maine. She has both an eBay store and a brick and mortar store that you can actually visit in person. We wanted to know more about what the difference is between running a store vs just selling online. We especially wanted to hear if she had insights into the ups and downs of the retail cycle throughout the year. Stores that depend on foot traffic know how sales get slow at certain times, while online sellers seem to be surprised when people aren’t buying every second of the day.
Opening up a B&M shop always sounds romantic because you become part of the community, meet people and have a place to call your own. But then we think of the rent, utilities, employees, and hours where you must be in one place all the time. We were surprised by one especially cool trick: Jenny not only sells clothing, she BUYS clothing. So she gets people coming in to sell her all kinds of stuff. Since she can pick and choose, I bet she gets her hands on some upscale fashion. The Scavenging comes to her! We also like how she discussed what she sells in her shop vs what she sells on eBay. That balance is important.
Let us know if you’ve had experience running a B&M store and how it’s better/worse than eBay. You can see more of Jenny’s items on her instagram account. She’ll answer any of your questions in the comments.
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