Focus on Lisa Netz, co-owner of The Lavish Loft


Lisa Netz

Submitted by Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick, Federation Business and Community Development Director
For the Voice

What was your path to South Jersey?

I grew up in PA and lived in NY for a bit, Where I did everything from managing a retail store to managing a popular nightclub. But I was drawn back to the area to be around family. After I got married, we started to look for a home and wanted an affordable, close-knit community with a good school system to raise our kids.  My cousin lives in Woodcrest and told us about Cherry Hill!

How did you end up in consignment?

Actually, by accident. I didn’t want a full-time job when I had kids but wanted to earn my own income.  So, I started selling my kids’ baby clothes on eBay and it was very successful! Soon others asked me to put things on eBay as well. Then Sue Polikoff reached out to me. Sue was running Federation’s Mobile Resale Boutique–where people donated and we sold the clothes, with proceeds going to the Federation.

What happened when you met Sue?

Well, Sue was managing pop-up shops and reached out to me to help with selling additional inventory on eBay. After two years of helping and having my home filled with merchandise and even individuals reaching out to me to resell their goods on eBay, I decided that I had to do this as a full-time business. I started looking for a business and found a consignment store in Haddonfield that was up for sale–but I was late.  It had already rented.

But you are in Haddonfield now, aren’t you?

I introduced myself to the new owner of the store, Lyndsay Williams. She was a teacher who had always wanted to go into business and opened the original store. I began consigning with her. I had a strong knowledge of the business and designers, so we stayed in touch and I helped when she needed me. At some point, she had to close the shop for a few weeks due to a family illness and I offered to help keep it open. When she came back, she asked me to be her partner.  At first, I said no; the initial store was too small for a partnership, but within a couple of months, a larger space opened up in Haddonfield and we just went for it–we hardly knew each other. That was 5 years ago!

So how does your business work?

We consign, buy and trade new or excellent condition women’s clothing and accessories from individuals. We also receive overstock from different boutiques and designers, so we have a lot of new items as well. We work with people from NY and PA and as far as CA.  We are more than just a store selling merchandise though. We’ve created a community and what we consider an extended family. We call people if we haven’t seen them in a while to make sure that everything is okay. We celebrate good things together as well as support each other.

Do you have an online platform?

We do have a website but sell primarily in-store or through Instagram and Facebook. We put out up to 300-500 items a week during peak seasonal times. It is intense business and a lot more work than people realize but also very rewarding.

How was the past year for you?

Actually, over Covid we did really well. A lot of people didn’t know what to do while being stuck at home, so they cleaned out their closets and others spent a lot more time shopping!  Retail therapy is real and we were busy!

Did you ever think you would do this?

Kind of.  I’ve been in retail most of my life and started selling shoes when I was 14. In retail, you either love it or hate it. And I truly love it and the people I get to meet.

Anything else?

I am obsessed with fashion. I like to know which designers are collaborating, what they are working on and who is upcoming. One of the first things I do every morning is read Women’s Wear Daily and Footwear News, yet typically leave my house in jeans and a tee. I find that I always go back to the idea of great, comfortable basics. As long as I leave my house with a great pair of shoes and belt… I’m set for the day and can conquer the world in my mind.

 

 

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