Sandy Hook’s Fun Kuts Expands To Accommodate Fun Kids Consignments

By John Voket

For more than five years at its original adjacent location, all Fun Kuts owner Marci Benitez kept hearing from her hair salon clients and their parents is how much they enjoyed the one-stop, village-style convenience of Sandy Hook Center.

So when she and her husband Felix had the opportunity to expand their popular hair studio while launching a children’s consignment shop all in a single space, they jumped at the chance.

Now parents can browse the racks of mostly gently used clothes, toys, select furnishings, accessories and sporting equipment while their children are getting a trim, or while they are waiting for their own cut and color.

Along with shifting their location up a few doors to 111 Church Hill Road, the Benitezes tripled their floor space to accommodate Fun Kids Consignments, their spacious and inviting new enterprise. While the cozy salon upgraded from three to five chairs, more than 700-square-feet of retail space is devoted to repurposing a broad selection of “gently used toys and fashions,” Mr Benitez told The Newtown Bee during a recent visit.

“We’re not only operating these two businesses in this one new space, but we’re also working on fun promotions that tie the businesses together,” he explained. “We’re offering coupons for $3 off a haircut when you purchase $20 from the consignment shop, and we’re offering a discount on any consignments purchased when you come in for a haircut.”

The couple is still seeking winter consignments, with the plan of turning over stock seasonally — about every three months.

“By January we’ll be moving out the winter items and bringing in spring stuff,” he said. During the recent visit, Fun Kids Consignments was heavily stocked with products for newborns to 24 months, but the store will consider any items for youths up to age 16.

A small center rack of brand-new items features predominantly educational toys, games, and puzzles from Melissa & Doug.

“We also have a number of new items consigned that were given as gifts, and were either not wanted or not age appropriate for the recipient,” Mr Benitez said. Larger items like select furnishings and toys too big for the store will be displayed on a photo board along with details. If a customer is interested, Mr Benitez will then arrange for the seller and prospective buyer to get together.

Customers can also shop with peace of mind because every item consigned is run against a nationwide recall list, and the store will not accept any items that are under current or past product safety recalls. Mr Benitez has also taken steps to keep his clients and their children secure with video monitoring of both the salon and retail areas, as well as the small play area for children near the front of the shop.

He also did most of the interior renovations, constructed a lot of the interior displays, and designed a computerized inventory system using bar coding for each item in stock. Consigned items fetch a 50 percent return for their original owners, and the store assesses an annual $5 administrative fee to consignment customers.

“But that fee is taken along with our commission from each customer’s first sale over $10,” Mr Benitez said.

On the salon side of the operation, three of the five stations can be outfitted for clients of any age, and each station features a flat-screen television monitor for children’s programs or an adult client’s entertainment. The shop has also retained its popular fire truck and race car barber chairs especially for children.

“We’re called Fun Kuts, but we want people to know we are a full-service family salon,” Ms Benitez said. For appointments, or information about services and consignments, call 203-304-1969.