Delawese Fulton
Talking Shop

ddfulton@thestate.com
(803) 771-8659
Consignment for hire and for sale. That’s the thrift of Consignment 1st.

The Matthews, N.C.-based reseller of upscale furniture, antiques and home decor will open its first Midlands store June 16.


Consignment 1st will be in the 30,000-square-foot building neighboring Staples on Park Terrace Drive off Harbison Boulevard.

Consignment 1st is a full-service specialty retailer that provides space and advertising for owners of the items it displays in its consignment stores.

B.J. Smith, franchiser for the new Columbia store, said the business receives 40 percent on the sale of consigned items. And shoppers can buy high-quality furniture and other items at reduced prices.

Consignment 1st sells consigned furniture from retailers and manufacturers — such as Bassett and Drexel Heritage — and the public.

Consignment 1st also has a store in Rock Hill and is planning to expand to Greenville and Charleston. The chain has 10 stores in the Carolinas.

• New dELiA’s opens

School’s out! And teen-apparel retailer dELiA’s is in.

New York-based dELiA’s Inc. opens its first store in the Columbia market at Columbiana Centre today.

A seller of popular lifestyle wear for girls ages 12-19, dELiA’s also stocks shoes, hoodies, jeans and dresses. The retailer also has a popular catalog

The new dELiA’s is near Dillard’s at the Harbison Boulevard mall.

• Cato Corp. expanding

Charlotte-based Cato Corp. has two more stores opening in Columbia.

Cato, a retailer of girls’ and women’s clothes, will open a store neighboring the new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Bush River Road on June 6.

It’s also opening an It’s Fashion! store at the center at 1322 Bush River Road.

It’s Fashion! specializes in trendy wear and shoes for young men and girls.

• Dishing up art, eats

Columbia’s lovers of art and the late-night scene are invited to the May 29 opening of West Columbia’s The Starving Artist Cafe.

Located in a converted house at 1103 B Ave., this new spot features art for sale and late-night brunches — 11:30 p.m.-2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Mingled with Bohemian decor, diners can enjoy hot sandwiches, salads, desserts, teas and alcoholic beverages.

The cafe’s hours will be 5-11:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5-2 a.m. on weekends.

To learn more, call (803) 791-3770.

• And in other news …

Here is an update on a couple of much-talked-about retail prospects and some Memorial Day excursions:

Wisconsin-based Kohl’s will not comment on the new store going up next to Target on Harbison Boulevard, even though a sign has been posted announcing the store will open in this fall.

Cracker Barrel restaurant spokeswoman Julie Davis said the Tennessee-based chain is “interested in the area.” She said the company is considering building more restaurants in the Columbia market. New locations have not been determined yet, she said.

Amidst the throng of department- and specialty-store sales this weekend, Dutch Square Center will hold its third annual card-signing for deployed military troops in the mall’s food court. For details, visit operationthankyou.org.

For those who want to get a jump-start this Memorial Day weekend on shaping up for the summer, check out the new Personal Fitness by Neil Derrick at 3215 Devine St. Derrick, a local fitness trainer, has moved his 10-year-old business from Rosewood Drive to Devine’s boutique district.

Each week, Delawese Fulton, retail reporter for The State, provides the latest retail development news. The goal is to give you the skinny on the new stores in your neighborhood, as well as any businesses closing. If you have any retail news, contact Fulton at (803) 771-8659 or ddfulton@thestate.com.

GREEN GROWTH

The National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops reports that consumer concern about recycling and ecoawareness is driving the retail consignment industry’s growth at about 5 percent per year.