Get ready for your newest alternative shopping spot in Poughkeepsie: Plato’s Closet

If you like to thrift shop, are into more sustainable and eco-friendly shopping alternatives or are on TikTok and Instagram Reels, you may have heard of Plato’s Closet.

The nearest Plato’s Closet to the Poughkeepsie area is in Danbury, Conn., but not for much longer.

Kimberly Revak, owner and operator from the Beacon area, will open a Plato’s Closet in Poughkeepsie in the 9 Mall Plaza at 1816 South Road. The spot used to be an old furniture store, but she said it hasn’t had a new occupant since around 2016.

Revak is trying to make it into a family business.

“All my teenagers are going to work for me, and I’ve really kept them involved in the process from the very beginning,” she said. “I’m hoping that it gives them good insight and a way to grow it beyond myself.”

Here’s what you need to know about Plato’s Closet and what the second-hand store franchise is all about, when Revak is opening the doors, and where to keep up with Plato’s Closet Poughkeepsie during the building process.

What is Plato’s Closet and when is the Poughkeepsie location opening?

Revak is starting off with an “open to buy” period this fall for about 8 to 10 weeks, beginning around the last week of October on Monday, Oct. 28.

The week beforehand, the company will come in and build the store she’s designed.

“When you’re dealing with franchises like this, they kind of sell you like a store in a box, so to speak,” she said.

They’ll bring in the truck with everything that’s needed, and a company from out of town will start unloading Monday, Oct. 21, and essentially by Friday, Oct. 25 have her store ready to go.

If you’ve never been to a Plato’s Closet before, the gist is you can bring in gently used teen and young adult clothes, shoes and accessories to sell, no appointment necessary, and while workers review the pieces you brought, you can browse the store for more items, which are typically available at a discounted price. Afterwards, they’ll make you an offer and pay you cash then and there.

According to Plato’s Closet, even though it is a second-hand store, it offers trendy styles as well as everyday basics to choose from that are up to 70% off retail prices.

Take a look at the website, platoscloset.com/sell-to-us/, to learn more about the types of items they’ll buy from you.

The actual grand opening following the open-to-buy period at Poughkeepsie Plato’s closet, Revak said, will be scheduled right around the new year, in late December or early January, “depending on how the holidays go.”

Alternative, sustainable shopping opportunities and community involvement

Plato’s Closet is the perfect “stepping stone,” Revak said, to getting into alternative forms of shopping, especially if you’re not one to go to the thrift stores.

“The concept of items going back onto the rack instead of the landfill, and creating that circle of sustainable fashion — there’s nothing around here that’s even close to that,” she said.

“It’s just not worth it to me to take my kids to the mall and spend $60 on a pair of jeans, when I can take them to Plato’s and they can find a huge selection for $10 to $15,” Revak added.

That’s one of the reasons she decided to open her own Plato’s, but she also wants her store to become a “community partner.” Revak is looking to provide a service with an opportunity to get cash, in a simple way, hoping to hire 15 employees, as well as keeping money in the community.

Plus, she emphasized there aren’t many rules compared to other, similar types of stores, around the types of clothes, shoes and accessories you can bring in, and there isn’t a specific time frame you can bring items in — simply bring in your pieces whenever the store is open.

More: Will the Mid-Hudson Valley’s fall foliage be vibrant or dull? Here’s what to expect.

Keeping up with Plato’s Closet Poughkeepsie

In the future, if all goes well with this first location, Revak has hopes of opening another in the mid-Hudson Valley, “maybe one on the other side of the river.”

To stay up to date with the building process of Poughkeepsie Plato’s Closet, check out the store’s social media pages on Facebook and Instagram: @platosclosetpoughkeepsieny.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: A new Plato’s Closet is opening in Poughkeepsie’s 9 Mall Plaza