Business & Tech

'Revival' Gives Secondhand Luxury New Meaning

Consignment shop to celebrate 10th Anniversary

In February 2004, Elyssa Rosenbaum and Lauren Aryeh opened Revival, a designer consignment and vintage boutique, in Roslyn. The shop, with its vaulted ceiling, scent of fine leather, brick-covered walls and customized built-ins, gives visitors the feeling that they’ve just stepped into the walk-in closet of a woman with very discriminating taste. And don’t let the term “consignment” fool you – everything in the shop looks brand new, from the $525 Channel leather clogs to the $200 Hermes scarf, and the furs and eveningwear as well. Rosenbaum spent time with Patch to talk business.

Why they opened a consignment shop:  The partners, both of whom share backgrounds in retail, say upscale consignment spoke to them, as at the time, they had not seen the concept executed quite this way anywhere else locally.

How business has changed in 10 years: The slow economy has “worked to our benefit,” Rosenbaum said. People are “looking to sell, or buy at a discount,” she added. In October, the company launched its web site, revivalboutique.com, which allows for e-commerce, and as a by-product, attracted the attention of magazine stylists, including one who selected items for an upcoming shoot for Milieu Magazine. The shop recently completed one month of search-engine optimization, and already gotten notice across the globe, including a new customer in Saudi Arabia, Rosenbaum said.

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Among the A-listers who’ve shopped here: Billy Joel once picked up a gift for his girlfriend, Rosenbaum said, adding that Alexa Ray Joel pops into the shop as well. According to Rosenbaum, Kirstie Alley has purchased items, and the owners are hopeful that they may outfit actress Taryn Manning (“Orange is The New Black”) as well.

Biggest challenge: Dealing with shoppers who are looking to get “an even better deal,” Rosenbaum said. “We don’t own the merchandise,” she pointed out. “We’re selling it for someone else. We can only do so much.”

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What the owners are most proud of:  “Staying in business as long as we have,” Rosenbaum said. 

The Shop: Revival: A Designer Consignment & Vintage Boutique, 1374 Old Northern Blvd, Roslyn; 516-299-4556

Web: revivalboutique.com


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