ChickenKidz Spring/Summer Consignment Event

Medford mom turns her own bargain hunting into success with Chicken Kidz consignment Business

It is said that “necessity is the mother of invention,” and after having three children of her own, Susan Biegner from Medford, Long Island, came to the conclusion that shopping resale for her growing children was the smartest way to save money. Realizing that other families were in the same boat, the 43-year-old working mom took a bold step, and in 2012 launched Chicken Kidz, a semi-annual children’s consignment event where savvy moms can sell their new and gently used quality children’s items and earn from 65% to 80% of the prices they set. These same moms, and thousands of other customers, can purchase an upcoming seasons worth of clothing and toys for their children at a mere fraction of their retail cost. Since the beginning, the spring and the fall events have been held at the venerated Polish Hall, located at 214 Marcy Avenue in Riverhead. The next Chicken Kidz event will be Friday, March 20 through Sunday, March 22.

Biegner, a human resources executive for a Long Island healthcare distribution company with no prior entrepreneurial experience herself, knew she was on to something that could work. She compares shopping a consignment event to extreme couponing, but without all the upfront time-consuming work. “Most working moms don’t have the time to leaf through circulars, research online, clip coupons, organize, categorize and go from store to store to find bargains,” said Biegner. “What we offer is convenience and low prices that cannot be matched by any store or retail website.”

At Chicken Kidz, families can purchase boutique and quality clothing for infants to tweens up to size 14/16, as well as sporting equipment, baby items like strollers and high chairs, toys, video games, outdoor play equipment, nursery décor, books, movies and so much more.

According to Biegner, “A Chicken Kidz consignment event is not just a supersized garage sale. We have over 30,000 items for sale at each event and it’s set up as a temporary ‘store’ with merchandise sorted by size and gender to make shopping fun and easy.” There is strict quality control and the more than 250 consignors set their own prices and tag their own items at home using an online inventory management system which allows them to monitor their sales at the close of each day’s business. Once tagged, consignors drop their items off at the event location and the Chicken Kidz team handles the rest. Marketing includes social media, traditional and online advertising and word of mouth to generate awareness and attract thousands of shoppers over the course of three days. Items that aren’t sold are picked up by the consignor at the close of the event or donated to various Long Island charities. “It’s great to see shoppers get bargains and my consignors make money, but at the end of the day, it’s rewarding to know that we can help out so many of our neighbors in need.”

For Biegner, a Chicken Kidz event is a family affair. Her husband George is a CPA who handles the accounting and helps with the logistics of organizing the event, storing and building displays, setting up the cash registers, inventory control and more. Her three children also lend a hand as “toy testers” and help out at times during the event. She also has a team of close friends who are passionate about the concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle” and of course making money and getting great bargains. One friend, Jennifer Ann Krieger, who is a ChickenKidz consignor and team member who works at the events said, “Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? I think so and it’s a great way to earn money and save money. We work very hard but we have a good time.”

“But let’s face it;” said Biegner, “I’m like every other mom who wants to get a bargain. It’s the thrill of the hunt that makes it all pretty exhilarating.”

The spring Chicken Kidz consignment event will be held March 20 – 22 at the Riverhead Polish Hall, 214 Marcy Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901.The Friday, March 20 event runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. as a special “members only” charity presale. Those wishing to shop must claim a “ticket” at www.chickenkidz.com. The Saturday, March 21 event runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the Sunday, March 22 event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Both Saturday and Sunday events are free and open to the public.

Source: Chicken Kidz press release dated March 3, 2015.