A tan Gucci calfskin handbag with a retail price upwards of $4,000 appeared in a recent live shop for $895, while a La Greca clutch from Versace that would typically cost about $1,000 was priced at $325.
Both are apt examples of the Season 2 Consign model. “We want to bring luxury handbags not just to an affluent audience, but to everyone,” said co-founder Erika Tapia Schrieber. “Our approach is authentic luxury, authentic people.”
Schrieber, who with sister Monica Tapia-Mularski founded the luxury handbag consignment business in 2020, said Season 2 Consign grew from her recognition that the high-end consignment niche within the fashion industry could be faster, easier and more lucrative. Based in West Palm Beach, Florida, and franchising since 2022, Season 2 Consign has six locations open and this year is targeting expansion to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Miami.
Schrieber’s career in luxury consignment began 15 years ago when, as a recent college graduate, she took a brand director position at a designer consignment shop in Miami. Back then, much of her work involved managing social media and marketing channels, including posting product photos on Facebook and eventually launching live shopping on Instagram. During her 11 years there she also helped the company open additional stores, and it was during the COVID-19 pandemic that she decided to create her own business.
Sisters Monica Tapia-Mularski, left, and Erika Tapia Schrieber began franchising Season 2 Consign in 2022.
“We rented a tiny space, lined the walls with handbags and launched on Instagram,” she recalled. “We were profitable within 45 days.”
Tapia-Mularski, who owned a mobile spray tan business in South Florida and was a Brain Balance Center franchisee, said Season 2 Consign fills the white space between major online marketplaces such as The RealReal and mom-and-pop shops. The company’s live shopping experience, S2CTV Luxe Live, is key differentiator, she noted, and builds a human connection between customers and franchisees.
“Instead of just social media, we own our live shopping experience,” Tapia-Mularski said. “We aren’t just relying on TikTok.” The Latina sisters also have a Spanish language version of the live shops, hosted by their Spanish-speaking franchisees.
Technology likewise plays an important role in the consignment process. Season 2 Consign and its franchisees use Entrupy authentication software, an artificial intelligence-driven technology service that can detect if an item with a designer label such as Chanel, Luis Vuitton or Fendi is fake.
“Early on we said, how do we guarantee to the best of our ability that we’re not going to sell superfakes,” said Tapia-Mularski. A portable Entrupy device is used to scan the interior, exterior and hardware of an item, which once authenticated gets a certificate that “lives with that item for the rest of its life,” she said. Season 2 Consign’s policy, to which sellers agree, is to destroy fakes.
Franchisee Alejandra Caban took over the Season 2 Consign location in Fort Lauderdale, in early 2024.
“Luxury resale can be a black hole,” said Schrieber, “and you need to build a lot of trust with customers because there are so many fakes out there.”
While Season 2 Consign operates primarily as an online resale marketplace, franchisees also have local showrooms, typically in non-traditional retail spaces that carry a less expensive price per square foot. The cost to open a Season 2 Consign franchise ranges from $178,284 to $274,034, and Tapia-Mularski said franchisees can go from agreement signing to opening in about eight weeks. They have an initial budget to purchase handbags and accessories, and then market the business to consigners as well as shoppers.
“What’s beautiful about this business model is we focus on people who love sustainability and also love luxury,” she said. “Clients feed two streams: they’re buying from us and then they may be consigners.”
“Luxury isn’t just for the upper class,” Tapia-Mularski continued. “We position to customers that these are heirlooms, quality products, and they’re making an investment in something special.”
Alejandra Caban was Season 2 Consign’s director of operations before she became a franchisee earlier this year, acquiring what was a corporate location in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when the company moved its headquarters to West Palm Beach.
“I really believe in the model Monica and Erika created,” said Caban. “I’ve seen first-hand if you follow the steps they’ve put in place, you’ll see the results.”
To Caban, Season 2 Consign’s focus on customer service helps it stand out from independent consignment stores and impersonal online marketplaces. The brand brings a “concierge-style of service” to its relationships with consigners, and is transparent in its approach to selling.
“We let them know the condition of the items,” she said. And with the live shopping events, “we show what fits the best with your body style” to help personalize the experience.
Schrieber said franchisees typically have a fashion or sales background, but Season 2 Consign is really looking for “self-starters and people who want to build a brand.”