Her Biz May 2022 Winner
Breathing new life into your wardrobe: owner of The Revival Consignment Boutique Jackie Hitchins wins £500 to launch through Her Biz programme
Finding and selling high quality garments, and tackling fast fashion – with The Revival Consignment Boutique, Jackie aims to create a destination brick-and-mortar and ecommerce platform that increases the lifespan of clothes, and helps fashion-conscious individuals find high end items at a good price.
Jackie won £500 towards her start-up costs for The Revival Consignment Boutique by taking part in the NatWest funded Her Biz start-up business programme and submitting her winning business plan to the following competition, which is open to all attendees.
The Her Biz programme, which is delivered by Let’s Do Business Group and supported by NatWest Bank, aims to increase entrepreneurship, and break down the barriers between women and business by supporting more people to follow their career aspirations. Delivered virtually over Zoom by our two expert business coaches Lisa and Helena, the programme has been a long running success since it launched more than 3 years ago.
Taking on fast fashion, one item at a time
The Revival Consignment Boutique was inspired by Jackie’s desire to contribute towards solving the ever-growing problems associated with fast fashion and promoting sustainability in the fashion industry. She plans to use her previous experience in customer service and sales from a high end high street brand to her advantage with The Revival; by launching the store in the centre of Seaford accompanied by an ecommerce site, and committing to creating a place that is renowned for its outstanding customer service and style advice.
The goal for The Revival Consignment is to combine a new ease for people to sell their old items, with a storefront where customers can browse for high quality and exclusive pre-loved pieces. It aims to solve the problems associated with finding good quality second hand clothing and the disparity between price, and with this, breathes new life into old items, cutting down on her customers’ need to buy into fast fashion brands.
“A love of shopping for fashion can come at a high environmental price. This business model alleviates that problem by increasing the lifespan of clothing already in circulation.”
Second-hand is a trend here to stay
Buying second hand is a trend that looks set to continue across both gender and age groups. Propelled forward by first eBay and then platforms such as Depop and Vinted, it allows consumers to sell their unwanted items and gain some money back, and more people to find unique items that aren’t available elsewhere. Research shows, however, that there was a lack of confidence in online reselling sites, due to sellers handling listings, sales and dispatching orders themselves, and to address that, a brick and mortar store like Jackie’s might address that.
The Revival Consignment Boutique aims to capture the attention of consumers that are concerned about the environmental impact from fast fashion, and who are trying to combat that in their own wardrobes by shopping sustainably for items that will stand the test of time.
“The second hand clothing industry has democratised luxury and high-end fashion, making it affordable to more people.”
Jackie hopes to bring The Revival to the market in Seaford, as there are no other resellers locally, and with the ecommerce integration of the brand, bring the brand to people across the UK and overseas too. To set her apart, her customer focused knowledge of fashion and customer service will provide a great experience for her customers, as well as the physical location on Seaford high street with an eye-catching window display.
Short term, Jackie hopes to create anticipation for her store opening with increased advertising on social media, which should help to increase her inventory from clients and get the ball rolling. Her hopes for her store include an attractive presence on the high street, combined with a memorable shopping experience, which will create good word of mouth referrals and more visitors, which would then translate into the business idea becoming profitable.
Finding Her Biz
In developing her business idea, Jackie identified the need to brush up on some skills. Seeking out training online, she came across the Her Biz Women’s Start Up Business Programme, which covers everything a pre-start business needs to know before their launch; from refining your business idea, to marketing and managing your finances. The course enabled her to get a handle on the numbers and the forecast for her business to make it a success, as well as guidance on employing an accountant to free up some time to work on the rest of the business.
“As a start-up business, the Her Biz Workshops proved to be invaluable.
The resources and support provided by Lisa and Helena were excellent. They gave me the confidence and focus I really needed with my business planning.
For those of us with busy lives it enabled us to participate easily, as the course was organised within a manageable timeframe.
I would highly recommend the course to anyone thinking of a new business venture!”
We wish Jackie and The Revival Consignment Boutique the best of luck for the future!
