Ever-congenial Your Best Friend's Closet moves to larger digs
Low prices. High quality. Exceptional customer service.
Were any of these missing from your latest shopping experience?
Marianne Evans says they wouldn't have been if you visited Your Best Friend's Closet, a consignment and resale boutique in Algonquin.
She ensures that every customer who walks in the door leaves pleasantly surprised.
"This store is for the person who would never buy resale," Evans said. "We strive to be more like a boutique."
Specializing in clothes for the everyday woman, brands range from Target to Escada and are constantly changing. Your Best Friend's Closet features everything from casual to formal wear.
The precisely organized store also highlights swimwear, maternity and accessories. With new merchandise arriving daily, the resulting selection is always in style and season-appropriate.
Many retailers have been feeling a bit of a slowdown in this time of economic uncertainty, but Your Best Friend's Closet is more than staying afloat.
The three-and-a-half-year-old store just opened its new location at 3955 W. Algonquin Road. A mere eight doors down from its previous spot, the new store is three times the size of its previous quarters.
Inspiration for the shop began during Evans' annual home garage sales.
"I would set up my driveway like a little store, separating everything into different sections," she recalled. "I thought it would be so fun to open a resale store."
Donna Buchholz of Crystal Lake is one of Your Best Friend's Closet's 1,550 local consignors. Though she has done consignment for years at different stores, she's drawn to the efficiency and personality of this resale boutique.
"Sometimes it's hard to get out of here!" she said. "When you come by, you start to get to know the people, and they're so personable and fun."
The warm, welcoming environment is evident. As a young shopper tries on dresses for her prom, all stop to "ooh" and "ahh" each time she steps out of the dressing room.
Staffers offer opinions on which style looks best. Frequent shoppers are likely to become friends.
Longtime customer Joanne Bratta of Algonquin remarked, "I love how they make me feel. It's more than a store; it's a place to hang out."
Evans certainly hopes so. "We want people to feel comfortable here, kind of like the 'Cheers' of resale."
• Your Best Friend's Closet is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays. For details, visit yourbestfriendscloset.biz or call (847) 458-9530.