How a clothing swap became a staple Charlotte shopping event
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Founders Jennifer Shelton, Stephanie Bissell and Shelly Landau. Photo: Courtesy of the EDIT Sale
The EDIT Sale started as a clothing swap between three close friends — Stephanie Bissell, Shelly Landau and Jennifer Shelton. Years later, hundreds of women anticipate the semi-annual event, travel into Charlotte (or Raleigh) and line up around the block to score designer goods at a discount.
Why it matters: It wasn't meant to be a business, they tell me. Their story is a reminder that some of your best ideas might be chapters ahead of where you are now.
Context: "We were all moms first," Shelly tells me. They didn't expect to have new full-time jobs at this point in life, but their passion for beautiful clothing — paired with consumer demand — led them to this unexpected and fulfilling (and sometimes exhausting) journey.
Flashback: I remember going to Jennifer's house to preview one of the earliest sales back in 2019. There were a few racks and a long table topped with accessories. They hand wrote all the tags and invoices.
- It was one of the first times they opened it up beyond their own social network. Dozens of people showed up to shop.
- By then, the EDIT girls, as they're called, knew one of the city's best-kept secrets was out of their closets and into someone else's.
How it works: The Charlotte sale is twice a year and lasts five days. The EDIT Sale team typically curates 5,000-7,000 pieces of designer clothing and accessories from more than 100 consignors.
- There are smaller three-day sales in Dallas and Raleigh, too.
Behind the scenes: In true startup form, the three original women still take on the lion's share of labor — and there's plenty of it.
- In the few hours I spent with them to write this story, I saw them sort and tag clothes, break down racks, tour a venue, map out security, direct content creation, negotiate extra parking, and manage influencers and press, among other logistical tasks.
- Once you understand the dynamic between the three founders, it's clear their magic is part of the business. Shelly oversees content and communications; Jennifer is the stylist, organization and hiring extraordinaire; and Stephanie works behind the scenes, optimizing things like their POS system.
- Each season, they hire about a dozen helping hands, mostly friends, for things like sorting, pricing and tagging.
Zoom in: Some aspects of their growth have been intentional. For example, they've worked hard to keep that getting-ready-with-the-girls vibe.
- They're also adamant about leaning on a pretty tight network of consignors. They expanded enough to create more size and price diversity, but not so much to dilute EDIT Sale style standards.
- Other parts of their brand growth have been more organic. For instance, once they realized how much clothing could be going into landfills, sustainability became a core part of their brand identity.
What's next: There's no detailed five-year plan for the EDIT Sale. Instead, they'll keep listening to their shoppers and consignors, as they always have.
If you go: The spring/summer 2025 sale runs Feb. 26 to March 2 at The Collector's Room (2122 Freedom Dr.).
- Hours are 10am-8pm Wednesday-Thursday; 10am-6pm Friday-Saturday; and noon to 4pm Sunday.
