Peach Bottom Consignment

The Background

Beth Appel is the owner of PBC, a consignment shop that has a little bit of everything! Clothing for all ages, decor, houseware, shoes, jewelry, vendor items, and more. Established in 2011, PBC began in a small shop, located in Peach Bottom, PA. Fast forward a few years, PBC relocated just two seconds down the road, into a larger building.

Beth has been a family friend for years, so I was already familiar with PBC before we started working together. In 2021, we reconnected at a Southern Lancaster Chamber event I co-hosted. During a networking activity, we talked about what areas of our businesses we were hoping to strengthen. Beth mentioned wanting support with her social media presence, and we officially started working together that October.

I started by managing the PBC Facebook and Instagram, and naturally expanded my marketing services from there! I added in email marketing, website management, graphic design, etc.

While I no longer manage PBC’s marketing day-to-day, I continue to support them by managing their events!

The Summary- TL;DR

I've helped increase PBC's revenue through advertising on social media and their email list, which I created in January 2023 and have grown to 800+ subscribers.

After 10+ years in Pennsylvania, PBC unexpectedly relocated 20 minutes away to Maryland. I coordinated and executed advertising methods to grow PBC's presence in the new location and am thrilled to report that they are thriving!

I've streamlined the event creation & management process by getting PBC set up on an event platform. This has allowed PBC to automate the ticket buying process, view vendor information, and easily issue refunds, as needed. I've found an easy & free way to communicate with all the vendors leading up to the event.

Tasks

PBC had a Facebook page, which after a decade, had amassed several thousand likes/followers. I have to admit- it's so fun, and an honor, to have that kind of audience to work with! PBC also had an existing Instagram page, Google Business Profile, and website.

My goal was to boost engagement and adequately advertise the store. Beth has never felt tech savvy, and while she has employees, she also works at PBC! Over time, my role grew from managing the social media, to covering all marketing avenues. This includes managing the website, event planning, printed marketing materials, and more.

I began by stopping at PBC once a week, using my phone to take photos of all the store had to offer. I made posts rotating through their different items. Because PBC has a variety, I wanted to show a little bit of everything. That sentiment can be applied to all businesses, not just retail. As a photographer, I showcase all my photography offerings, not just one kind of photography.

Trial & Error

As time passed, I learned how to advertise to the PBC audience and what performs well. It's important to note that this isn't all about the # of likes, comments, and followers. I've seen over the years how the algorithm has changed, and how certain posts just don't perform like they used to, which is fine!

There's a balance between doing your due diligence, advertising the business well, and crafting each post to get the most engagement.

For PBC, it's important to advertise the following: hours, address, consignment updates & directions, sales, events, and of course, their inventory. You can't be too repetitive with the basic info.

The Relocation

After almost 11 years in Peach Bottom, and some issues with the space, PBC closed in the summer of 2022. Beth spent months searching for a new location, and at the time of closing, wasn't sure what was next. Thankfully, she was able to find a former auto parts shop just 20 minutes south- in Rising Sun, MD. After renovations, PBC reopened in October 2022, at 190 Biggs Hwy.

This move led to the following:

Updating Google Business Profile
Joining Rising Sun FB groups
Sneak peeks of the new space on social media
Joining Rising Sun Chamber of Commerce & hosting a mixer
Community outreach

The Expansion

As I mentioned, this building was originally a parts store, which has car bays attached to it. The building owner had a few sitting empty, so Beth had the opportunity to expand PBC into that area one year after opening, in October 2023.

In 2021, Beth bought a ton (believe me- it's a LOT) of wholesale Halloween items (costumes, makeup, decorations, etc.) and because she didn't have the space, had the items for sale in a tent outside her old store in Peach Bottom. In October 2022, she opened at the new location with the Halloween items! This worked out well because PBC was otherwise "starting from scratch" when it came to inventory. PBC is a consignment shop after all, so the community brings the inventory!

Finally, in October 2023, the Halloween items got a proper location: the expansion area! After Halloween, we used that expansion area for an amazing vendor show in late November, and now it's being used for additional store space. Beth was able to rearrange the store, allowing for more walking room.

Email List

I was thrilled to create my first email list for a client! Email lists are important for 2 big reasons that go hand in hand:

(1) direct advertisement- you may miss a post in your FB or IG feed, but an email is sure to make it to your inbox. Of course, getting subscribers to READ the emails is another story, but they're receiving the info nonetheless.

(2) PBC owns the email list. We all know that social media is merely rented ground. Your account could be hacked, or you could be locked out (FB & IG support suck), and all your followers are GONE.

Topics covered in the emails:

Consignment updates (now accepting winter, etc.)
Event reminders
Sales
Holiday hours

I was able to schedule these emails in MailChimp, which allowed me to get ahead and not worry about the email list on a daily basis. Any replies to the emails (not that we were ever seeking replies, but it's inevitable) go directly to the PBC Gmail inbox where Beth can reply.

Social Media

I was scheduling daily, or near daily (sometimes I'd skip Sundays, specifically because PBC is closed) posts for PBC. As I mentioned earlier, I tried to showcase everything and post a variety of items. In a week's time, I'd usually post the following:

baby gear (strollers, bouncers, etc.)
clothing (men, women, or kids)
shoes
décor
houseware
vendor items
purses

I sprinkled in graphics as well- sales, hour updates, consignment reminders, etc.

I also replied to comments & messages. I kept the auto reply & bio updated with what consignment PBC was currently accepting.

I was "on call" to make time sensitive posts such as unexpected closures & hour changes, or to say that PBC wasn't accepting consignment for the day.

Event Planning

Beth has hosted vendor shows for years. She did it the old school way- all paper, checks, and cash. I got PBC set up on Eventbrite! This allowed vendors to sign up online vs in store, not worry about mailing a check, etc. The manual method also led to hounding vendors for payment. With the online ticket sales, vendors had to pay to even book their spot. This was my first foree into Eventbrite (EB). Everything was fine for awhile, then after running into several glitches and issues with it, for several different events, I switched to TixTree.

Turns out EB is one of, if not THE, most expensive ticket platform when it comes to fees! :') I could rant about that for hours, but long story short, I do NOT recommend using EB for paid events. The fees are legitimately double what other platforms charge. You do have options, but EB has the market share. It's a bad product AND outrageously expensive.

I manage communication with the vendors, including sending out mass emails with all the important info in the weeks leading up to the event. This includes set up & tear down times, parking info, location, etc.

When advertising an event, it's important to build a "runway." You post teasers, photos from last year's event, previews of what's to come, etc. For PBC, I wanted to offer an early bird discount for vendor spots to incentivize folks to sign up early. This has gone very well! We've sold out vendor spots! I also created a vendor waitlist that gets first dibs when spots open up (it's first come, first served) to create an exclusivity factor, and allows vendors to be notified of events without receiving ALL of PBC's marketing emails.

Google Business Profile

Out of everything, the GBP & website are pretty low maintenance. Once a GBP is set up, as long as your hours & location don't change, it's pretty hands off.

I added photos of the store interior & exterior so new customers know to expect! Now more than ever, people want an idea of what they're walking into. This is also helpful to identify the store from the road!

I replied to reviews as they came in. I sprinkle in 5 star reviews on our social media!

Website

As mentioned above, the website is lowkey. Like any non e commerce website, it's meant to be more "evergreen," not requiring frequent edits.

Over the years I've updated it as PBC relocated, added the email list sign up, uploaded the new consignment guidelines (see next box, "Printed Materials"), updated the consignment software link, and added branding photos. Naturally, I took those photos! :)

Otherwise, I'm really only in there to advertise an upcoming vendor event, which is every couple of months. I'll advertise the event on the site in the weeks & months leading up to it, then remove it all after the event is over.

Printed Materials

This is another "as needed" task- when we have an upcoming event, I'll get a flyer printed to display at checkout & of course, bag slips! I've also created yard signs to have alongside the road to advertise the events!

I design all of these items and have them sent to our local printer.

Shortly after partnering with PBC, I updated their consignment guidelines sheet! This lives on the PBC website and is available in person for new consignors. As needed, I'd place an order with the printer to get another couple hundred printed to have on hand at the store!

Occasionally PBC would place an ad or need a coupon designed. Each year Rising Sun has a festival called SunFest. Local businesses and vendors set up booths, and because PBC is right down the street from the festivities, they have participated in the past!

In 2024, we wanted to have coupons at the booth, so I made a half sheet, with a coupon! Locals are still learning about PBC, so I wanted the handout to be informative!

You'll see I included hours, social media handles, a PHOTO of the space, and brief description of what PBC sells! It's nothing crazy or complex, but very effective at letting folks know what PBC is, where to find them, and when they're open. You have a great idea of what to expect, just by reading this half sheet!

When you're making a graphic, you need to keep the end goal in mind: Will this be printed? Who will be seeing it? What is the call to action?