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Business & Tech

Love It Again Consignment Shop Provides "Peace of Mind" for Shoppers

Monique and Michael Mahon spent a decade talking to local moms about shopping.

Fourteen years ago, when their daughter Emily was born, Michael and Monique Mahon of Algonquin knew they wanted to open a consignment shop for children’s clothing. At the time, Once Upon a Child was located in West Dundee, Monique said, so that franchise wasn’t available. This month, though, the couple is celebrating the one-year anniversary of their expanded store, Love It Again, at 3975 W. Algonquin Road in Algonquin.

“We basically spent the last ten years talking to moms and learning how it works,” she said, of her research to open a children’s resale shop. “Our customers are the ones who really enjoy the thrill of the hunt.”

It’s that quest for a competitive price, high quality, and trendiness that describes the majority of Love It Again’s customers, Mahon said. And customer satisfaction led to the expansion of the store in its December 2010 move from 9 Crystal Lake Road in Lake in the Hills to 3975 W. Algonquin Road in Algonquin.

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“It’s three times the size of our first store,” said Mahon, who worked as a retail sales manager for Harris Bank and spent 25 years in that industry.

The Mahons’ store has three employees, and the idea of the shop is to offer consistent high quality to differentiate itself from thrift stores.

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“Our customers really enjoy the fact that they don’t have to dig through things that might not be the quality they’re looking for,” she said. “Every piece of clothing here is looked over by every one of our staff. There’s no pilling, no staining and no pet hair.”

Algonquin resident Kristin Gregory said the high level of quality gives her peace of mind and cost savings. In addition to buying clothes at Love It Again, she also sells some of her kids’ outgrown items on consignment.

“I just came in to pick up a pair of L.L. Bean winter boots for my son,” said Gregory, adding the store’s location is ideal, too. “And for Thanksgiving, we ran over here to pick up a sweater for my son.”

Newborn sizes to children’s size 16 are offered at Love It Again, and local moms also provide handmade products, like hair accessories. Small furniture, bookshelves, toys, books, highchairs, and games are for sale too.

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