When victoria and mark schutter moved back to Atlanta 18 years ago after decades in the consumer electronics business, they knew they wanted to start a new venture. Victoria Schutter’s sister Maria’s recent experience at a small consignment shop provided the inspiration. When the two sisters opened the doors to the original 6,000-square-foot business in what was then Chamblee’s Antique Row District, they couldn’t have predicted how dramatically the secondhand furniture market would evolve. What began as a retirement venture has evolved into a thriving business and changed perceptions about consignment furniture, with an evolving style selection that draws a younger clientele.
Their initial timing, though seemingly unfortunate just before the 2008 economic downturn, proved serendipitous. “Consignment turned out to be a great choice,” Mark Schutter says. “We didn’t know it, but we were going into business at a very bad time. Thankfully, consignment does well in a poor economy. We also did very well during the pandemic. After initially closing briefly, we had an unexpected surge due to the lack of availability of new furniture in the supply chain.”
Shopping consignment is gaining popularity as consumers realize the remarkable opportunities to furnish their homes with high-quality pieces at significant savings. Unlike traditional retail stores, where prices are fixed at manufacturer-suggested levels, consignment stores typically offer items at least 50% off retail prices, with the potential for even deeper discounts month by month.
From an environmental perspective, shopping consignment gives well-made furniture a second life and reduces waste. Shopping is also part of the fun, as ever-changing inventory creates an exciting treasure hunt atmosphere. You never know what you’ll find that’s not available anywhere else. If you’re furnishing your first home or refreshing a space, consignment stores offer an opportunity to own better-quality furniture than your budget might allow.
From its initial space, Consignment Furniture Depot doubled in size to 12,000 square feet, but size isn’t the only thing that’s grown. The store’s reputation for curating high-quality contemporary pieces has made it a destination for designers and savvy shoppers. Victoria Schutter approves every consignment item, maintaining strict standards that sets the store apart from traditional secondhand shops. “We’re extremely particular,” she says. “Out of 20 submissions, we might accept one. Our goal is when you walk in, you will think almost everything is brand-new.”
The evolution of the store’s inventory reflects broader changes in Atlanta’s demographic landscape. While it initially carried some antiques, reflecting its location in the former Antique Row, its clientele has shifted dramatically. “When we first opened, our clients were all 50 or older, but today, our average customer is skewing younger,” Mark Schutter says. “These are people just starting out or savvy young people who are onto the secret of how much you can save by buying from consignment.”
This demographic shift owes much to the store’s social media presence, managed by the Schutters’ daughter, Kimberly, which occasionally yields surprising results. “After relying heavily on television advertising in the early years, we supplemented print ads and sponsorships while concentrating on social media,” Mark Schutter says. “You never know when a particular post will go viral and trigger the attention of influencers with even more followers.”
Besides quality, one of the things that sets Consignment Furniture Depot apart is its unique sourcing strategy. Unlike many consignment stores that supplement inventory with new items, the Depot has maintained a commitment to secondhand furnishings while developing innovative supply channels.
One of its most successful partnerships is with local builders who use high-end furniture to stage model homes. “The model homes relationship is a huge bonus for everyone,” Victoria Schutter says. “When a builder sells out a subdivision, we get their brand-new, high-end furniture. Our customers get very excited when they hear we’re getting a shipment in from the model homes, which often sell through quickly.”
The Schutters have also tapped into the online furniture returns market through third-party brokers. “We had a real boost a couple years ago,” Victoria Schutter says. “A company that serves as a middleman for several online furniture retailers contacted us. When consumers return furniture to major online brands, such as Lulu and Georgia, Joybird or Castlery, it usually doesn’t go back to the retailer; it goes to a third party for resale. That third-party company contracted with us, so returns are routed directly to us, and we price these brand-new, often unopened returns at half of retail. Our smart consumers and interior designers know they can get this brand-new furniture for half.”
The Depot’s location near Georgia’s booming film industry, with 4 million square feet of sound stages across the state and 20 sound stages and two studios within walking distance, has created another unique opportunity. The business has developed strong relationships with set designers who buy and sell through them. “We love our relationships with movie set stagers,” Mark Schutter says. “They buy from us and then sell it back. They know we have top-quality contemporary items, and we also get some really unusual items from them. Margo, who has been with us nearly from the beginning, has been so adept at nurturing our business with movies that I had made up and gave her an Oscar for ‘Best Casting Director of Furniture.’”
The store operates on a simple but effective pricing model: Items start at half of retail for the first 30 days, with most prices dropping 10% every 30 days thereafter up to 90 days. However, most items sell long before reaching that mark. “We know what will sell. The vast majority of our stock sells within 60 days,” Victoria Schutter says.
The warehouse-style setting features excellent lighting, allowing customers to inspect pieces for quality and imperfections. Beyond furniture, the store has developed specialty niches. “We have over 200 crystal chandeliers that are supplied and hung by a longtime customer,” Schutter notes. “It’s a wonderful business for us and helped us build our designer base. We also have a good selection of rugs and art. Some of the art is the kind of thing you’d buy at Z Gallery, and some are more valuable art.”
The staff understand that furniture transactions often coincide with life transitions, so they’ve built their business around compassionate customer service. “Often these transitions are shared,” she says. “We really enjoy interacting with our customers and take customer service seriously. We want customers to be happy and long-term customers.”
This commitment to people extends to the staff, whom the Schutters consider family. Most of the core sales staff go back to near the very beginning. Marcia, who owned the consignment shop where sister Maria initially worked, is a true artist and can resurrect and redesign even the most mundane or distressed piece of furniture, or if desired, distress it to an artistic level. Rounding out the family aspect, another sister, Paula, fills in and does the bookkeeping.
The store also takes pride in its environmental impact. “Why buy new?” Victoria Schutter asks. “Recycling and keeping things in the market is important. Smart buyers shop us first. If you don’t find what you want, then you can go pay full retail or more.”
As supply chain disruptions continue to affect the new furniture market, Consignment Furniture Depot’s model proves increasingly relevant. “Situated on the railroad track in Chamblee, we adopted the railroad depot motif. Our slogan is particularly appropriate: ‘Consignment Furniture Depot … Arrivals and Departures Daily,’” Mark Schutter says. “It’s smart to stop by often. We try to feature photos of everything $100 and up on our website, but very often prime items sell before we can get them photographed.”
In an era of increasing environmental consciousness and budget awareness, the Consignment Furniture Depot has proven that secondhand doesn’t mean second best. *
Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.
