The California-based company ThredUp is an online thrift store for buying and selling like-new women’s and children’s clothing and accessories, has chosen Vernon Hills, Illinois (37 miles from the downtown area) for its first distribution center in the Midwest.
ThredUP has made thrifting a whole lot easier! You don't have to spend hours looking through racks for just a few pieces, you can now quickly fill up your cart! ThredUp buys used clothing and fashion items from consumers, who send the company packages of unwanted dresses, purses, etc. through FedEx or mail service. The company processes theses items at distribution centers to figure out what is eligible to be resold. The seller then gets a notification about how much she or he will make, depending on if the items are being sold through delivery or not. The company takes a cut of the sales. When the items are resold, workers pack up the purchases and ship out them to their new owners.
The company is now leasing a 145,000 square-foot space at 100 Lakeview Parkway, which had been vacant for almost two years, and is bringing 300 new jobs to the area.
“The Village of Vernon Hills is pleased to welcome thredUP to our community,” stated Village President Roger Byrne in a press release. “Sustainability is at the center of the brand’s ethos and we welcome the meaningful jobs thredUP is creating for our devoted and diverse communities throughout Lake County.”
Inside the Vernon Hills distribution center is a flurry of activity. Manager Michael Suchoza said 4,000 to 5,000 pieces of inventory come into the center each day, with roughly the same amount being shipped out to customers. “Our target consumers are moms. There’s so much good stuff here,” he said.
ThredUP accepts clothing from more than 25,000 women’s and children’s brands and resells them for up to 90 percent off the original retail price.“We focus on like-new items, but we are opening our different tiers as an effort to provide something for everyone as opposed to only flawless designer items. As we speak, it’s changing. We’re accepting a lot more stuff these days,” Suchoza said. Each item of clothing that comes into the distribution center is carefully inspected for defects. Items that make the cut are photographed for thredUP’s website then placed on specific racks where workers can pull them once purchased.
“We are the industry leader in what we do,” Suchoza said. “Online is where it’s at. Instead of driving your clothes to some other place (to sell), you go online, order a bag from us, fill it and send it back. We make it very easy.”
The Vernon Hills distribution center of thredUP currently employs about 150 people and they plan to double that. Applications are now being accepted for second shift, which is 3 to 11:30 p.m.
Positions start at entry level, but there are advancement opportunities for employees as they become more experienced.
Those interested in working for thredUP can apply online at www.thredup.com/jobs or stop by the distribution center.
“This is a fantastic company to work for,” said Mike Alexander, outbound operations supervisor for the Vernon Hills distribution center.
In addition to creating jobs, Suchoza said thredUP plans to partner with the community for charitable initiatives, such as donating canvas scraps to Vernon Hills High School art students and hosting an art contest for a scholarship prize.
“We’re very proud of the partnerships we create with our business community and thredUP’s willingness to generate 150 jobs with the intention of rolling out 150 more is really a testament to the collaborative effort the village makes in helping businesses become successful,” Carey said. “We’re certainly happy to have them here.”
