To start her business, Jean Watson spent several weeks collecting signatures door-to-door. She needed neighbors’ approvals to rezone a storefront for her idea — selling upscale clothes on consignment.
Consignment shopping wasn’t a new idea, but back then, when she opened along Hendricks Avenue near San Marco in 1987, re-selling designer and better-branded clothing wasn’t de rigueur.
The rezoning went through and, because of her personal visits, many potential customers knew about the business, Sweet Repeats, and knew Watson, already a neighbor, a little better.
Still, it took many teachable moments.
“I had to educate the public for a long time,” Watson says from her Lakewood Promenade store, where she moved 18 years ago after outgrowing the first two locations.
At first, people thought she was opening a thrift shop. Some even asked “why would you want to sell old, dirty clothes?”
They soon learned differently, and some of her initial consignors and customers have been regulars the past 28 years.
Watson, an accountant by training, patterned her store on one in her native Richmond, Va. She has refined the business to focus on upscale, current women’s clothing and accessories.
Armani, Prada, St. John Knits, Chanel and Gucci are some of the designer clothes found on the racks. Tory Burch, Kate Spade and Michael Kors are some of the trending tags, and higher-quality mainstream brands like J. Crew, Banana Republic, BCBG and Lilly Pulitzer also can be found.
The way it works is consignors bring in clothing they no longer want or need and Watson inspects it. If she approves, and she has learned to say no, she and her staff will process, tag and display it on the racks. Watson uses her judgment to price it.
Her major requests: The clothing needs to be in style, cleaned, pressed and on hangers. New consignors must make an appointment with her.
Every 30 days, she pays out, on a 50-50 split, to the consignor. If the clothing doesn’t move quickly, there are markdowns along the way. Very little doesn’t sell. What doesn’t is offered back to the consignor, who might take it or ask that it be donated.
About 80 percent of her inventory is from individual consignors. The other 20 percent includes new apparel from stores that are clearing out sale merchandise or liquidating.
Watson also goes to market to buy accessories and handbags. Sometimes trips she takes with her husband, Beech, present opportunities to bring in international apparel, such as scarves.
She buys clothing and accessories from estate sales, such as that of the widow of singer Nat “King” Cole. Maria Cole, who lived in Ponte Vedra Beach, died in 2012.
Watson was one of the first 15 people allowed into the sale at Cole’s home and brought back designer garments. “They were such unique pieces,” she said.
Sweet Repeats, at 1560 University Blvd. W., comprises 2,400 square feet. The boutique area is in front, and Watson usually is behind the counter at the door.
A large back room is where Watson and her staff of four to six process apparel arrivals, including storing goods for the next season.
September through November is the busiest time. By fall, women who’ve been wearing summer clothes in Jacksonville’s heat since at least spring are ready for a change. Plus, it’s the season for fundraisers and holidays. That big rollout is in August.
Watson grew up clothes shopping with her mother and older sister, who is now a CPA in Atlanta.
Her father, an ophthalmologist, was an immigrant from Iraq who came to the United States in his late 20s for a medical residency. He instilled in his daughters the importance of controlling their own lives. Her dad, 93, and mom, 92, still live at home in Richmond.
Upon moving to Jacksonville, Watson was working in accounting but sought a more fulfilling job in an area she enjoyed.
She knew women were moving in and out of the workforce and needed to buy or sell wardrobes. She also realized closets contained never-worn or worn-once clothing that was taking up space.
“Based on all that, I knew there was a need,” she said.
Watson collected such finds from family and as soon as she opened, people began consigning.
Along the way, she stopped consigning children’s clothes. She also found that suits, the basic uniform of executive women in the 1980s and ‘90s, are no longer in demand in this age of less professional formality.
The most fun is when the clothes come in and when customers talk about their activities — weddings, rehearsal dinners, graduations, parties, trips. “That gets our adrenaline going,” she said.
It also was a good day when mutual friends arranged an introduction to Beech, who is a retired banker. Those friends were her customers and his work associates.
“He walked in one day and the rest is history,” she said. Saturday will be their 16th wedding anniversary.
Watson has collected awards, including as Pioneer of the Year in 2013 from Women Business Owners of North Florida, after which she also began selling online at shopsweetrepeats.com.
She produces benefit fashion shows and has served on philanthropic boards.
For fun, she plays tennis and she and Beech travel. She also “scouts” other stores for trends.
“Another reason to shop,” she said.
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