By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
MANVILLE — For Manville’s stores specializing in selling second-hand items, avoiding competition with department stores and other massive corporations is helping their bottom lines during the downturn in the economy.
Although they may not all be seeing big increases in sales, the shop owners say they think their product mixes are helping draw customers.
Nicole White, owner of Red Door Boutique, on South Main Street, says consignment shop is growing.
”People are really excited to shop here,” she said of her business that has only been open for about five months. “A lot of people have been laid off and they don’t have the money to shop and buy new items. Here, they can get several suits for not a lot of money.”
In her business, Ms. White has said, she meets with people looking to sell clothing, handbags, fragrances, or other items, and creates an agreement where the consignors receive 50 percent of the sale of their pieces. She has said she calls her store a “designer clothing reseller.”
”I think this kind of shopping will be a new trend,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know what a consignment shop is and some think it is used clothes. But then they see the condition of the pieces, all dry-cleaned and cleaned. There are such fantastic deals.”
Although Ms. White said she cannot compare sales this year with those from a year ago, she has seen a steady increase in purchases throughout the past few months, despite the condition of the economy. In addition, she said, she has had a steady flow of people looking to sell their items.
”I think, for some people, it would be something to supplement their incomes,” she said.
The owner of Buckys/The Closet, on South Main Street, says he has not noticed any change in business, despite the nation’s financial crisis, and he attributes this to the mixture of old and new items he sells.
”We have affordable items and don’t compete with Macy’s and other stores,” said the owner, who preferred to remain anonymous. “We have clothes, new jewelry, knick-knacks and collectibles.”
He said, in the coming holiday season, he believes people will not be buying extravagant gifts, which will keep his business solid because people can count on the low prices and assortment of items.
”People will be buying more practical items, like gloves, scarves and hats,” he said.
While these shops are enjoying good business, another is finding he is being given more items than he can actually sell.
For Michael Chobot, owner of Michael’s Second Chance on South Main Street, business has definitely decreased over the past few months.
”People have been saying that the high gas prices have kept them from buying anything,” he said. “The gas prices have dropped, so sales are up a little now.”
To stock his store, Mr. Chobot collects pieces from storage cleanouts, basements, attics, storage facilities and takes donations from homeowners. He sells furniture, clothes, toys, books and other items at the store, which opened in February.
Despite the slow sales, Mr. Chobot said he has seen a close to 40 percent increase in people bringing items to be sold over the past few months.
”People are bringing a lot of everything they can sell,” he said. “But a lot of things are not selling.”
At one point, Mr. Chobot said, he had to stop accepting items because he was receiving more and more merchandise, but not selling any of it.
He said he has noticed a slight increase in sales since people stopped having to spend as much money for gas every day, and added he would like to put a table in front of his store with items to sell, but a borough ordinance does not allow this.
”I wish the town would change that ordinance,” he said. “Many people drive past here and don’t see the shop.”
Councilman Ed Komoroski, who owns Central Jersey Realty, said all Manville the stores have to move forward into the holiday season, when sales might pick up because prices are often lower in smaller shops than in larger department stores.
”Being small businesses, they don’t have the large overhead prices of the bigger stores,” he said. “They can keep prices lower because they don’t have the high overhead costs.”
For example, Mr. Komoroski said, Manville has two different jewelry stores, where items will probably cost less, than pieces of the same quality at a mall.
”This could give some of these businesses a chance this holiday season,” he said. “We are trying to keep an upbeat attitude.”
While the fortunes for the retail businesses are mixed, real estate busiensses are finding it difficult to sell houses lately, as more and more are being placed on the market.
There are currently about 53 vacant or under-construction houses throughout Manville, according to Mr. Komoroski. Of those, he said, 27 are vacant, eight are under contract and about 18 are currently being built.
”It is always hard to sell in this town because we get the brunt of every storm,” Mr. Komoroski said. “We are probably seeing the same amount of homes coming on the market, but they are not selling. So they start stockpiling.”
Sales this year, Mr. Komoroski said, are about half of what they were in 2006, when 133 houses were sold in Manville. From January 2008 until now, he said, only 70 houses have been sold in the borough.
”Sales have been way off for the past year,” he said. “We attribute this to the economy.”
As for businesses in town, Mr. Komoroski said they are all suffering during this financial crisis, but there are things that can be done to save money while still trying to sell goods.
”Being a business owner, we just have to restructure,” he said. “We can cut back on some utilities. It is like nothing more than running your own home.”
Mr. Komoroski said the businesses just have to do what they can to promote their stores and keep costs down. He said he hopes that residents and others continue to look to these stores for what they need, especially during the holidays.
”Small businesses can’t survive on anything but the town,” he said. “The core of any town is the small shopping district, and we should be proud of what we have.”
