From the beginning, Goodbyes founders Monique Thomas and Olivia Mangan had a vision: a minimalist store fit out, staffed by impossibly hip people who would be given the autonomy to select the types of clothes they thought would sell in their area.

They floated the idea of going online – which they did during the long COVID lockdown in Melbourne in an attempt to offset losses – but ultimately decided that op-shopping works best in person. And while they rely on the creativity of their staff and a content director to advertise the stock available through social media, it’s all about bricks and mortar.

Second hand clothing store Goodbyes co-Founders Olivia Mangan and Monique Thomas check the quality of some of the pieces in their Collingwood store.Credit:Chris Hopkins

“It’s probably quite old school,” Thomas says. “But it works really well for our business model. We love that people can come in and try and touch the garments before they purchase them.

“We also get lots of people within local communities shopping at the store, so less carbon footprint, and also we don’t have to deal with returns and shipping.”

Goodbyes is not the only consignment store bucking the online trend: Mutual Muse and SWOP, which operate slightly differently but are based on the same principle, have also kept a firm physical presence at a time when retail is largely shifting online.

“While we do well with both models, our brick-and-mortar stores are definitely more of an experience,” says Mutual Muse founder Kirsta Hawkins. “While well-known brands that people are used to wearing like Gorman and Alpha60 sell well online, the one-off, quirky items do better in person.”

Like Thomas and Mangan, Hawkins established an online store during the pandemic to counteract the lockdowns. And while op-shopping online has its place, Hawkins says she still prefers the in-store experience: “If you want to play, have a surprise and find that special treasure, I think brick and mortar is the way to go.”

For SWOP co-founder Brigid Gordon, bricks-and-mortar stores are where the brand sees most activity.

“Trying second-hand pieces in-store is great since we have a mix of modern and vintage pieces, which means the sizing isn’t universal,” she says. “It’s also a more mindful way to shop – being able to touch the fabric and take a closer look at the garment details in person means you’re more likely to take home something that can be worn and loved for years to come.”

While consignment stores have a long history in the US and Europe, Australia’s second-hand clothing market has until recently been dominated by either charity op-shops or high-end luxury vintage stores.

Dr Louise Grimmer, a senior lecturer in retail marketing at the University of Tasmania, says mid-range consignment stores – both bricks-and-mortar and online – have really taken off in Australia since fast fashion (think giant brands like Zara and H&M) reached our shores.

Angela goes through rare and vintage clothing items at SWOP, a consignment store in Newtown.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

“This really began in the early 2000s as the mass production of clothing, including fast fashion, became readily available for consumers,” she says. “More recently, we are seeing a wide and growing range of consignment stores around the country, and they are becoming more mainstream.”

According to US online consignment store ThreadUp’s 2021 Resale Report, global revenue for resale platforms such as websites and physical consignment stores is predicted to double in the next five years, which is 11 times faster than the broader retail sector. Grimmer says this is likely a response to the problems associated with fast fashion, a rising environmental consciousness and the fashion industry’s focus on efficiency, productivity and profitability.

When it comes to business, Thomas and Mangan follow the same approach they apply to fashion consumption: slow and considerate.

This is why, despite now running five stores around Australia (three in Melbourne’s Prahran, Brunswick and Collingwood, one in Hobart and another in Canberra’s Braddon, with an Adelaide store on Rundle Street to come) they have yet to open one in Sydney.

“Sustainable business practice is really important to us, which is why we’re not in Sydney yet,” Mangan says. “We’re not just going to pay crazy rent for things; it’s not easy to make it work and to break even.”

Far from featuring musty clothes well past their use-by date, the garments in Goodbyes are chosen based on their quality as well as labels (think Scanlan and Theodore, Burberry, Miu Miu, Jimmy Chu but also irreverent and edgy Japanese brands, as well as some higher quality high-street labels).

Mutual Muse and SWOP buy clothing from the seller on the spot by offering either cash (25 to 30 per cent of the value assigned to the clothing item) or store credit (which gets you 50 per cent). The founders of Goodbyes say they don’t have built-in incentives for people to keep buying in-store. While the option to use the sales money as store credit is available, Mangan says most people choose to take the cash.

Thomas has observed the shift away from new to second-hand, especially when it comes to people choosing to buy older, yet better quality, clothing.

“We’ll always base what we take on the quality, longevity and the construction of the garment, as well as what we see selling in store,” Thomas says. While the types of brands and styles available vary by store (Brunswick is more edgy than Prahran, for example, while Hobart has “heaps more beautiful quality woollen knits and vintage coats” than other shops, Thomas says) quality will usually trump labels.

“That said, we try not to say no to certain brands as well, because you never know what you’re getting from a brand in terms of quality or what’s selling,” Mangan qualifies. And it seems to be working: each Goodbyes store has grown 30 to 40 per cent year-on-year since opening, and they’re not ruling out going overseas.

“We’re always trying to refine our business,” Thomas says. “Right now, we’ve got a few more stores that are helping us fund potentially opening two more this year – I suppose we are becoming more successful, yes.”

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