Algonquin consignment store celebrates 20 years: ‘We’re helping the community out’

It seemed like Best Friend’s Consignment store owner Marianne Evans knew every customer who walked into her Algonquin store last weekend. Calling them by name, she would greet many with a hug, and some brought her flowers. The day was a special one to celebrate Evans’ 20th anniversary of owning the store.

Best Friend’s Consignment, at 3955 W. Algonquin Road, just west of Randall Road in Algonquin, celebrated its 20th anniversary with a store party last weekend, with food catered by China Bistro, raffles and sales. Throughout the store’s lifetime, Evans has seen the ups and downs of the resale industry while building a community along the way.

The consignment store, originally known as Your Best Friend’s Closet and Your Best Friend’s Home, opened in 2004. People who wish to sell things at the store bring in their items and are given a consigner number, store manger and Evans’ son Zack Evans said. When an item sells, the money goes into their account to use as a store credit, or they can take it out as cash or check.

“We’re not your Walmart, we’re not a thrift store,” Marianne said. “I am helping support some local families. Everybody that consigns is someone in the community. So, we’re helping their families out, we’re helping the community out, and we’re helping the people that work here.”

It all started when Marianne hosted garage sales in 1992 and made $1,200 on her first day. She overachieved with her sales by playing music and selling soft drinks. She also ironed the clothes and had makeshift dressing rooms. Neighbors started giving Marianne their unwanted items so she could sell them.

“I would make my garage sales like a little store,” she said.

Then, Marianne started with her consignment store by renting out a 1,100-square-foot store in a strip mall off Algonquin Road. Things really took off after the recession in 2008, and she expanded while other businesses dropped out of the strip mall.

“I literally was money for people to put gas in the car, groceries on their table, pay bills – because everybody lost their jobs, lost their houses, and they started consigning things to help generate a little bit of income for their family,” Marianne said.

Marianne kept expanding as other businesses moved out, and Zack took over the furniture section in 2015. Now, the store is 12,000 square feet and filled with jewelry, shoes, designer handbags, clothing, home decor and furniture. The store has almost 11,000 consigners, with dozens who are still with her since Marianne first opened. One person has brought in more 4,000 pieces.

Best Friend’s Consignment acts like a revolving door to keep things fresh. The team members process about 1,200 items a day and keep items for about two to three months. Anything they don’t take, they donate to other local thrift stores.

“If you want to make a million dollars, I’m not your girl,” Marianne said. “If you want me to sell it to a good family, a good home, a good person, I can do that.”

The resale industry has exploded in popularity as people see it as way to be more environmentally and economically conscious, Marianne said. Massachusetts passed a law in 2022 to make it illegal to throw clothing and textiles in the trash, and she sees other states, including Illinois, adopting similar laws in the future.

“It’s really great for the environment, the community, and you’re saving money on top of that,” she said.

But all of the growth hit a low point during the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the store to close and employees to be laid off, Marianne said. A lot of late hours and a quick pivot to selling online and hosting Facebook Live sales kept the business afloat.

“I thought, ‘I didn’t get this far just to get that far. We’re going to beat COVID,’” Marianne said.

Throughout the years, the team has built a tight-knit community by participating in local fundraisers and growing relationships with customers and consigners.

“We’ve had people [who have] been here literally from 10 to 6, the whole eight hours that we’re open, just in the store because it’s their happy place to come, and they don’t have anywhere else to go,” Zack said. “It’s to be a part of a family and just with people that help make them smile, and that’s what the team here does.”

As for the next 20 years, he hopes to still have in-store and online shopping options.

“Just to keep going, to keep growing, and just trying to be as positive as we can in the community,” he said.