Even though she saw an opportunity in consignment clothes seven years ago, Sage Bishop is still a bit surprised at how much the industry is being embraced in Bellingham.
Bishop owns Labels, a women's clothing consignment business. She has a store at 1512 Ellis St. as well as Bakerview Square, and the company is building a two-story retail store at 3927 Northwest Ave. (near Jerry Chambers). The building, which will have 4,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor, is expected to be completed in late January.
By early February, the company will move the Bakerview Square store into the larger facility, while the Ellis Street store will remain in its current building. By the Bay Construction is the contractor building the new store.
The company also recently reached a milestone, adding its 20,000th consigner just as the store heads into the fall season, usually the busiest time of year. It's not just the company, but an industry that's grown in this area: Not many women's clothing consignment stores were around when Labels opened in 2004; now Bellingham has more than a half dozen shops.
It's been a steady climb reaching that milestone, as the company grew during both good and challenging economic times. During the tough economic times, Bishop said she sees less impulse buying from the regulars but growth in the number of customers coming in.
"I think the thrifty attitude is here to stay," Bishop said.
The new store on Northwest will be almost twice as big as the current Bakerview space and have more dressing rooms and women's clothes, as well as a new line of consignment products - home décor accessories. Bishop has an idea of what they'll want to showcase.
"We'll start off with some of our stuff to show what we're talking about," Bishop said.
The Bakerview store was the second for the company and something she wanted to try out to see if there was room for two Labels stores. It's been a fun experience for Bishop, not just because of recycling aspects that come with consignment stores.
"The attitude of customers is very cool in this business," Bishop said. "They have such a laid-back attitude that I enjoy."
For further details about the company, visit labelsconsignment.com.
OTHER TIDBITS
• A few weeks after opening, the Thunderbird Café in Birch Bay at 8124 Birch Bay Drive has closed. In an email, owners Jeff and Madonna Martin said they are looking for a new location.
• A "Coming Soon" sign is up at the former Clayworks building at 1015 Girard St. for Sound Images, a company that specializes in a variety of production services, including graphic and web design. According to its website, Sound Images is planning to move into the bigger space from 3201 Northwest Ave. on Aug. 22. In the new spot, the business plans to include a gallery showcasing artists from the Pacific Northwest.
• Whatcom Educational Credit Union has temporarily closed its branch and the ATM at 1600 Birchwood Ave. for remodeling work. The work includes putting on a new roof and doing other structural improvements. The branch and ATM are scheduled to reopen Aug. 30.
