In the back room at Flawless Consignment Boutique, rows of heavy-duty storage totes line the walls, filled with gently-used women’s clothing waiting to be hung and put out on the floor. 

Current city councilwoman, former educator and longtime local resident Aubrey Patterson launched the shop at 303 SW 16th St. in mid-August, banking on the idea that her own desire for a consignment store in Bentonville would be reciprocated by the community.

The response so far, Patterson said, has been positive, confirmed by the ample amount of totes and the dozens of racks filling up the cozy space — items dropped off by locals hoping to earn some extra cash.

Noticing a gap in the market, the idea had been in the back of her mind since moving to town 22 years ago. It wasn’t until she decided to leave her teaching career that she began to pursue the opportunity.

“We didn’t really have a good place where people could actually make some money off of their nice things,” said Patterson. “I really felt like someone would do it, but they didn’t, and now I’m glad because I’ve been able to make it exactly what I wanted.”

For Patterson, the transition from education to entrepreneurship has been a positive one. After raising four children of her own, she went back to school and earned her teaching credentials. She worked as an educator for five years, first teaching social studies at a charter school and then child development and education courses at Bentonville High School.

While she said she misses her students, she was ready for a change.

“It’s been a lot getting this up and running, but still, teaching is hard,” she said. “I just realized that wasn’t something that I could do for the rest of my life.”

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to getting the store open, Patterson said, was finding affordable commercial space. 

“It’s not talked about as much as the housing affordability issue, but it’s hard to start a business too when the commercial prices are that high,” she said, adding that it was eye-opening to go through the process, giving her some perspective she is able to bring back to the City Council.

The boutique has become a family business, with Patterson’s sister working as manager. Her husband had initially encouraged her to open the business, and her 19-year-old daughter can also be found hanging clothes in her spare time between classes at the University of Arkansas.

Their initial call for drop-offs, shared via social media ads and word of mouth a month before opening, received “way more of a response than we even dreamed we would get.”

“It was definitely something that I think we needed here,” she said.

Unlike other secondhand shops in the area that buy items outright, the boutique operates on a “true consignment” model. This means items are placed on the rack, and sellers receive 40-50% of the sale price. According to Patterson, this approach usually allows sellers to earn more from their goods.

The store carries a variety of women’s and juniors’ clothing and items, including shoes, purses, athletic wear and dresses, with sizes up to 3XL. Patterson said they have been selective with inventory, avoiding fast fashion and focusing on quality. Popular brands include Banana Republic, Chico and Ann Taylor.

“We carry a little bit of everything — we have $12 Old Navy jeans all the way up to $200 dresses,” Patterson said. “We really like to have a wide variety of price points and items to fit everybody.”

Flawless Consignment Boutique also carries luxury brands, such as Coach, Michael Kors and Kate Spade.

Items are typically sold at around a third of the retail price, Patterson said. 

The boutique accepts walk-in drop-offs during store hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Items must be gently used and purchased within the last few years. A full list of guidelines can be found on its website.

Sellers can track their goods in an online portal and see how much money they’ve earned on each item. Items that remain unsold for six weeks are moved to clearance. If the item still doesn’t sell, the owner can come pick it up, or it’s donated. This keeps her space fresh, with new items on the shelves.

“It’ll be a completely new store in 90 days,” Patterson said.