Laura Rainey is ready for the official opening of her downtown shop, Back on the Rack, which is at 26 Broad Street. The official opening is planned Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store features consigned and new items. Rainey and her partner Jessica Ryan own and run another Back on the Rack in Hamden. This is their second location.
Back on the Rack, featuring new and pre-owned women’s designer clothing, accessories and gifts, has opened in downtown Milford, with an official opening scheduled Saturday, Feb. 1.
Four years ago, Jessica Ryan and Laura Rainey, both North Haven residents, opened Back on the Rack on Whitney Avenue in Hamden. The Milford store is their second location.
“We felt in a recessed economy women still wanted to dress in designer apparel but not spend a fortune on it,” Rainey said. “So we created a boutique-type consignment shop where we offered name brands for less, as well as accessories.”
For the last year, the two women have been looking to open a second store but wanted the perfect location.
“For us that meant a town with lots of foot traffic, restaurants and other retail stores,” Rainey said. “When we saw 26 Broad Street back in November, we knew this was the perfect place.”
Shoppers looking for this type of store now have two options in downtown Milford. Village Vogue Boutique, similar in some ways, is also downtown, at 163 North Broad Street. Village Vogue carries women’s clothing and accessories, “featuring an eclectic mix of the latest dresses, tops, jewelry, handbags, and shoes, for women of all ages.”
The two stores are similar, yet unique in their own way.
Rainey said the new Milford shop is also somewhat different from the original in Hamden.
“Because the Milford location is a different layout than our Hamden store, we decided to do things a little differently,” she said. “Although both stores offer new jewelry, scarves, candles, and a line of bags, Milford’s consigned items will be kept to premier brands.
Hamden offers a little bit of everything in regard to fashion, whereas Milford will be focused on brands such as Anthropologie, Free People, Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines, and Tory Burch, to name a few, as well as designer jeans, handbags and shoes.”
The store will be open Saturday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and it will be open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The two owners will rotate days between Hamden and Milford so customers can get to know them both.
“Both stores are our passion,” Rainey said. “We love being able to outfit women with the best of everything without them spending a fortune.
“We offer a personal shopper to help outfit women who struggle knowing what to wear, and we host ladies nights once a month to just have fun.”
They hope to partner with other downtown businesses to cross-promote and host evening shopping nights.
The new shop has a strong social media presence and sells online and also via Facebook.
“This allows us to showcase consigned items outside the immediate area, often shipping items to other states,” Rainey said.
For more information, go to backontherackct.com.
Saturday’s official opening will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.