New always wins in retail, and old, vintage, antique and second-hand are the new
For more than 20 years retail strategist Connie Post has been counseling her furniture store clients that “new always wins.” That makes the news that in the coming expansion of her Jamestown, N.C., furniture store she is planning a selection of vintage furnishings a bit surprising.
“I’ve designed successful bedding departments and concepts for other retailers for decades, and I’ve decided to add one to Affordable Design Furnishings which means adding square footage,” says Post, who uses her store as a laboratory to test her concepts. “The twist is that the mattresses will be merchandised with vintage pieces for the bedroom and all kinds of unique accessories.”
According to Post, there is a clear and growing trend among younger consumers regularly shopping thrift and vintage outlets. “They feel strongly about supporting the future health of the planet, and to them that means reusing, refurbishing and simply not buying ‘new.’ This perplexes many parents, especially some of my retailer friends who can afford to buy their kids new and can’t quite get their heads around the fact that their kids are shopping this way. Really, it’s funny when you think about it, because so many of my contemporaries grew up in the ‘60s when we all thought buying vintage was cool.”
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