Shop. Sell. Share. That’s the mantra behind Nooish, an online consignment marketplace where you can find new and gently used designer home decor at discounted prices.
Darien-based founder Sarina Galu started Nooish with an extensive marketing background and has run her own interior design business for eight years. She created this niche business as a way to support local communities and connect those interested in design.
“Any individual can sell through Nooish, but we’re primarily aligning with interior designers, retailers and trade showrooms to help them resell product they need to move and offer consumers access to bespoke finds,” she says. Knowing the interior design world, Galu explains that every so often designers accumulate a surplus inventory of pillows, lighting, accessories, even furniture from situations where a client changes his or her mind or a custom piece is incorrectly made and can’t be used.
“Oftentimes items are non-returnable or there’s a restocking fee, not to mention going through the return claims process can be lengthy,” she adds.
Galu runs Nooish with business partner Cindy Williams, who has a degree in fashion design and merchandising. The pair launched their business concept on Instagram in September, with Fairfield County being the primary local test market. Their Insta feed, @nooishhome, showcases new and almost new home furnishings that are high quality and hold greater value than most online tag sale items.
“Nooish is a curated consignment place where items are authenticated and have to pass inspection for their newish condition. Maintaining high consumer confidence and providing convenient, hassle-free customer service are primary business objectives for us,” Williams says. The company operates on a 20 to 50 percent sliding scale for consignment fees based on complexity of exchange, say if storage is necessary for an item or coordination of a delivery company is required.
Not surprisingly, when people want to refresh their home or need instant gratification, pillows, lamps and remnant pieces of fabric or wallpaper make the quickest sales. Furniture requires more of a thought process and a commitment, but these transactions are happening as well.
At press time, Nooish had around 500 followers, and both Galu and Williams remain optimistic about gaining ground online.
“We are fine-tuning our policies and procedures, building partnerships and looking to launch a website this year,” notes Galu.
The duo also makes an important point about the timeliness of their venture during a pandemic. “Order lead times have almost doubled since factories shut down at the onset of Covid,” says Galu. With this in mind, Nooish can be a desirable go-to for great designer pieces you don’t have to order and wait for but can pick up right away.