Vintage vibe on the Avenue

“We curate the merchandise and design our retail locations in a way that feels like an extension of the local community.”

Courtney Hawkins, vice president of retail, The RealReal

GREENWICH — A new store specializing in high-end consignment and e-commerce — and that promises its merchandise is the real deal — has opened on Greenwich Avenue.

The RealReal at 256 Greenwich Ave. is buying and selling clothing, watches, jewelry and other items. The business bills itself as “the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods.” The company has 14 locations, including Greenwich.

Courtney Hawkins, the

company’s vice president of retail, said Greenwich was a good fit for The RealReal, as it has already developed a good base in the area.

“Greenwich was the next ideal location for our neighborhood store, because we already see strong engagement with resale from our customers and consignors in the market. We think our new store will be a great fit in the community because it will give our existing base, as well as new customers, a more convenient way to shop and sell with us,” she said.

The company is particularly geared to younger people who have developed a taste for vintage wear and like the concept of “resaled” merchandise, she said. The company estimates around a third of its sellers are in their 20s or 30s, and younger buyers are also a sizable percent age of its buyers.

The operation features the bricks-and-mortar boutique, as well as a digital marketplace.

The company already had a good feel for Greenwich consumers, based on Internet sales, Hawkins said.

“We curate the merchandise and design our retail locations in a way that feels like an extension of the local community,” she said. The new site on the Avenue will have “racks of items featuring brands and styles we know our Greenwich shoppers love.”

The store recently opened up locations in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Newport Beach, Calif., in recent weeks, and it has stores in Manhattan, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas, as well.

The RealReal says it is employing a knowledgeable work force. “Our neighborhood store specialists are there to walk our customers through the entire resale journey, from educating them on the resale value an item holds to what styles are currently trending in the secondary market,” Hawkins said.

Appointments can be scheduled for valuations on various merchandise at no cost.

Tori Cornish, head of the Greenwich store, said she expected the store to become a regional destination for shoppers in the know.

“Greenwich Avenue was the most ideal location because it’s not only convenient for our local customers, but it’s also a premier shopping destination for neighboring communities in New York and New Jersey,” she said.

The store’s interior has been designed to reflect modernist homes in southern Connecticut, according to the company.

The new business moved into the former Madewell storefront on Greenwich Avenue.

Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media RealReal Senior Marketing Manager Elyssa Noblesala points out the shop’s featured Gucci Edit during the opening day of the new store on Greenwich Avenue on Friday.

Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Staff wait on customers during the opening day of the new store RealReal on Greenwich Avenue on Friday. RealReal consigns items from customers to help them monetize items with convenient selling services, expert services and complimentary valuations. All merchandise in the store is curated based on the brands, designers and trends that will attract Greenwich shoppers.

Fine jewelry and watch expert Lori Wenner looks over items during the opening day of the store.