Thanks so much Ted, we appreciate you shopping with us!

Wow we are so happy that you shared this Elizabeth, we will be sure to let Camille know 🤗

Camille who works at The Exchange is a real life angel! Her kindness will forever be remembered. Women like her are women who change the world.

Hi Angel, we are so happy to hear this and thank you for taking the time to write a review! We appreciate you shopping with us.

A huge consignment shop with tons of gems! I had a blast diving into their racks and displays. I don't think I had time to actually look at everything, even though I was there for a while! I walked out with a bag full of designer finds and unique treasures for under $100. Plus, the staff was so sweet and helpful!

Thanks so much Kacey, we appreciate you shopping with us and helping support the arts at the same time!

big store. organized. good prices. friendly staff. love

Thank you so much for the review Kara! And, we're happy to hear you enjoyed shopping with us.

So much fun! We stopped here on our way off of Anna Maria and found some awesome deals. They have all sorts of things, from name brand clothing to furniture. Definitely a place to check out if you are into thrifting!

Thank you Alexa for shopping with AND bringing all your friends in too!

obsessed with this thrift store! dragged all my friends here when we were in town visiting

Thanks very much Patrick and we appreciate you shopping with us!

Nice place for paintings and used furniture. High end used items. Professional staff.

Thank you for the review Brian, we appreciate you shopping with us and helping support the arts!

I have to say this is my favorite store in town, not only because of the absolute treasures I find, but because of their commitment to giving back to our local arts organizations. What a treasure, and Sarasota Staple.

Thanks very much for shopping with us Veronica! We appreciate the review.

Very well organized store with reasonable prices and lots and lots to see. The women there were extremely helpful and some really nice merchandise. Wish I lived closer

Tracy, thanks so much for the review and the feedback on the jewelry volunteer.

So much to see ,try on and buy from fine jewelery to furniture to clothes. Most everyone is friendly, a lady in the jewelry was very rude. ( not fine jewelry ). Everyone else working and shopping were so happy to be volunteers .

Thank you Deanna, we appreciate the feedback! And thank you for shopping with us 😊

One of my very favorite places you can spend hours in here. Prices are affordable. Quality is great and you'll never know what you're going to find. You'll definitely be coming back for more.

What a great review and recommendation Katerina, thank you so much!

Love, Love, Love this store! Be ready you might spend hours there! There is huge choice of women clothing, decor items, dishes, furniture. If you see something get it right away. Items are flying of shelfs.

I would like to say separate thanks to all sweet ladies volunteers who work in this store everyday!
And another shout out to all generous people who donate amazing items so we are customers can buy lovely things for crime LOW prices!

Thanks very much for the review, Jan and thanks for shopping with us! 

Different from a lot of local consignment shops. Found exactly what I was looking for plus another unique piece. They have furniture, china, glassware, pictures, jewelry, clothes and just about anything else you might be looking for.  Big store so take your time and be sure to look at everything.

Thank you for the review Susan, and for shopping with us!

The best shopping ever! A huge inventory of everything from furniture to art. All in wonderful condition with fair pricing. Excellent!

Excellent well organized consignment store with proceeds going towards grants to Sarasota arts. Lots of everything including designer clothes, fine and costume jewelry, furniture, and books.

Thank you for your review, we appreciate you shopping with us!

Definitely a must on a thrifting spree. The prices range from incredibly affordable to a bit over priced, so it’s fun to seek out the good deals. Most items have a sticker with date-driven prices. The longer it’s there, the cheaper it is!

Thanks so much for shopping with us Kathy! 

Terrific place. I got some great out fits jumpers tops ect all quality I'm very happy and will go back for sure for more of the awesome deals they have. Clean nice place to thrift around

Jennifer, we really appreciate you taking the time to write such a great review and recommendation, we really appreciate it! Thank you for shopping with us.

I was at the store recently and want to compliment an employee in the furniture department who was very professional and courteous. Even though he was the only one working at the lunch hour, a customer purchased a table, would not wait for assistance and tried move it himself.
The employee was helping another customer but noticed the activity, excused himself and immediately went to move the table to the customer’s car.

This is a wonderful store where I have been shopping for 30 years and it supports a good cause. Thank you to all the volunteers and workers who are dedicated to making it a fun experience😊

Thanks so much for the review AK, and for shopping with us!

Always fun to find those special things here. Changes daily with quality used goods.

We're so glad to hear Jennifer!! Thank you for shopping with us.

I love this place, I always find something. The items I've found here have all been in good condition and the prices are excellent. The staff is super helpful and friendly.

This is great, thanks so much for the description and for taking the time to write a recommendation!

I like the Womens Exchange because there is always something new and beautiful... its like a mini museum. If you don't buy anything,  at least you can look at things. They do mark downs every couple of weeks. Each item is priced individually. They have clothes,  jewelry both fashion, fine jewelry and other jewelry, they have dishes, painting,  knickknacks and furniture.

Coolest Art district around. Unique shops, restaurants and entertainment.

Nice place to find some treasures, they have clothes, furniture,  art, books, toys and lots of accessories.
Definitely recommend this place if you want to find a great deal, or don't want to spend a lot of money.
The staff, mostly volunteers are very helpful and friendly.

Jonathan, thank you so much for your review and recommendation! Apologies for the late response but we do appreciate you shopping with us!

We truly love coming here whenever we visit. We've met the CEO Karen a few times and she's always been helpful, knowledgeable, and caring.

The Exchange is a consignment store with a core goal of providing young adults financial support pursuing a higher education in the arts. Their mission is transparent and not simply smoke and mirrors. In the area there are several Good Will locations, but I will always stop at The Exchange over a Good Will.

Their inventory does change often and they have a great selection of furniture, ceramics, and wall art. Some of the pieces are priced high, but they do have a falling price model so you can often score some older inventory at much better prices. They also have everything from $20,000 emerald necklaces to $1 used books so it's a bit of a treasure hunt, but well worth the visit.

Sara, thank you so much for taking the time to write this awesome review! We're so glad to hear you enjoy shopping with us and know that you are helping support our local arts organizations!

This consignment store is a goldmine! They have a great selection of home wares, clothing and other brand name decor. This is a great place to visit if you want to waste a couple hours and go treasure hunting. Everything is actually decently affordable as well! Sometimes it can be busy though so keep that in mind. Masks are enforced and they do have directional arrows for the aisles to control the flow of traffic and to maintain the 6ft apart distance. Can’t wait to come back!

We appreciate your kind feedback of The Exchange and thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We look forward to seeing you again soon! Have a great day and thanks again.

I absolutely love this consignment store. I've been coming here for years and usually leave with a unique item every time. They have a great clothing section with designer brands. If you are trying to fill a new apartment or home with special items this is a great place to come. Feel like there is more here for women than men as far as clothing and jewelry. My husband goes to look at the books when we come in together and then he is usually done looking way before I am! Also great selection of art here. The best part is that most everything is actually AFFORDABLE so that a regular person can go in, buy a few nice things and not break the bank. Usually pretty busy whenever I go. Plan to spend at least an hour in here! Can't recommend this place enough.

Thank you for the review Pat and for shopping at The Exchange!

Always a wonderful shopping adventure as there are an amazing wealth of treasures to be found. Great furniture area, housewares, clothing, jewelry, books, artwork and a huge rug selection. If you love it buy it as it may not be there when you return. The price tags continue to go down the longer it remains in the store.

Jane, thanks so much for shopping with us and helping support the local arts!

I love visiting the exchange! It is always clean and organized. They have the nicest volunteers working.  Always a deal to be found. My favorite part is a tie between the dishes and jewelry... Oh and the art...might as well add the furniture too! It's all great!

Thank you so much Greg! So glad to hear you enjoy shopping with us and supporting the local arts, we appreciate it!

The Woman's Exchange is easily one of the best thrift stores in all of the Sarasota/Siesta Key area. The staff is great and the selection is even better. All of the wares are "Designer" or "Boutique" style items, however they are sold at thrift store prices and will not be placed on display if there is any sort of major flaw with the item.
The furniture selection is what continually draws me into the store whenever I happen to be in the area. All of the furniture is very unique and has tons of character, in a good way.

If you are in the Sarasota or Siesta Key area and want to get out of the heat or off the beach, I cannot recommend the Women's exchange more for a great place to furnish a home or a wardrobe.

Thanks so much for shopping with us Tom, we really appreciate you and your wife stopping in frequently!

This resale shop has to be seen to be truly appreciated. I spent over an hour browsing art, books, vases, furniture, clothing, and jewelry and probably could have stayed another hour and still would not have been able to adequately view the scope of their collection. My wife loves sterling silver jewelry and they have hundreds of pieces all at incredible values. If you are looking for one of a kind art objects, this is the place to find them. I will definitely be making regular visits as I was told that their inventory turns over fairly fast. I was there on a Monday afternoon and the parking lot was almost filled to capacity. My wife loves the turquoise silver bracelet and glass globe I brought home pictured below.

Thank you for your feedback Diana, we really appreciate it! We can't wait for you to come back either! See you soon.

Clean, large and well organized. Large selection of quality home goods and women's clothing. The day that I visited,  they have a team of 8 or more volunteers, staffing the store. It was a big surprise that they have a large selection of precious gemstone jewelry. They have a jeweler volunteer to confirm the quality. I cannot wait to go back.

Very well organized thrift shop ! Parking is not easy but worth a look.

Thank you for the review Rich and for shopping with us. We appreciate you!

Tons of good stuff at fair prices. Everything spotlessly clean.

Thanks so much for review Donald! We appreciate you shopping with us.

A great place to possibly (?) find something. You can get overwhelmed, so take your time strolling through. The prices are a little high, it is however philanthropic.

Thank you for the review and the feedback Megan. Our prices are based on the brand and quality of the item. With that said, if there is something you see that seems over priced, just let us know and we’ll look into it right away!

They have a wonderful mission and high quality used goods. I find the price to be a little too expensive especially in the furniture department. They had a rattan entry table listed for $900!

Thanks so much for the review Madeline!! Love that skirt too!

So much cute stuff!!! Some of the more vintage things can get pricy but everything I have walked away with has never been a miss.

The women working there are great and  there is such a variety of things to check out and buy!

My favorite thing I’ve ever boughten is my orange floral skirt pictured, and my trusty carpet bag!

Thanks so much for the review Kristine and the feedback on staff. We’re glad to hear you found what you were looking for as well as those few extras 😊 See you back soon!

Very friendly employees at check out. Not many available on the floor for help though. Could have just been the time and/or day I was there, Tuesday May 17th 12:30. This is a typical consignment store and fun to dig around. They do a good job merchandising and everything is priced. They are cramped in the space. I found what I was looking for and left with a couple extras I wasn’t! I’ll definitely return.

They have nice, interesting items... like a visit to Grandma's house. Parking is terrible during season. The prices come down awhile and the dates are on tag. I have had female workers ask me if I need assistance and I say no and they still follow. Makes me feel like a shoplifter and I am in professional attire. We laugh about it and keep coming back. Can be pricy.

Hi Carrie, we appreciate the feedback and understand that management has responded to your email less than 24 hours later. We hope they were helpful.

I am both a regular consignor and shopper at this store.  I enjoy looking for unique items and for collectibles.  I also appreciate that the proceeds go to support the arts.  Here's the downside and what has prompted me to write this review.  When there is an issue or concern, no one cares to hear it  This week I bought an item via the website .  It was a Lalique figure and the listing said it had its box.  When I picked it up, I was disappointed to see that the store price tag was adhered to the Lalique box by tape. The tape could not be removed without damaging the box.  Collectibles with the original packaging are more valuable than without.   This happened to me once before with an expensive purse I purchased  .  The management just doesn't want to hear it.  Concerns or complaints are dismissed and emails ignored. Whether you're a one time customer or a person like myself that spends a couple of thousand a year at this store, a customer's concerns should always be acknowledged and addressed.

Also in looking at the reviews for this store, I can't help but notice that the many 5* reviews are from local tour guides not from actual customers.

Follow-up. Yes, after this posting I received a response from my email.  Realize this was not the first time I emailed about an issue.   The other two times I did not receive a response .  I still have those emails, Karen, if you care to see them.  I just hope that the pricers were notified so this doesn't continue to happen.

We totally understand your frustration and of course we will rectify the situation. Trust me when we say that we are equally disappointed and that the situation will be addressed internally.  Although there is no excuse, literally hundreds upon hundreds of items are priced daily and sometimes things are overlooked no matter how much we try. It certainly was not our intent to swindle anyone.
Thanks you for bringing this unfortunate situation to our attention and for giving us the opportunity to make things right. Please call Karen Koblenz at The Exchange 941-955-8759 so we can get this corrected.  

My partner and I make a monthly pilgrimage down to Sarasota from Tampa and Women’s Exchange is always on the list. We nearly always find treasures which are, on our opinion, very reasonably priced. This morning (3.9.24), we were 5 mins early and first to walk in the door. You can imagine our excitement when we found a sculpture right at the door which was beautiful! It was priced at $119 and again, we felt the pricing was very reasonable for what it was. We snatched it up immediately. Much to our disappointment, we went to another retailer in the area afterward  (Homesense) only to stumble upon the same exact item priced at $69. We were disappointed to say the least but the day was young and we didn’t want it to tarnish the rest of our afternoon. Well you can imagine how our frustration became compounded when we returned home and found the original price tag (Homegoods) still on the bottom and it was priced at $59. Again, zero issues paying what they had it priced at. We do have an issue with being swindled by an establishment we admire and recommend to many friends. Just disappointing.

Thank you for the review and feedback. Typically our more expensive rugs are new, Persian and handmade. Hope to see you in again soon.

I spent a day going to multiple different consignment furniture stores within Sarasota. By far. This was the biggest store that had the most merchandise within it. Especially if you were looking for household items, this is a place for you. One of the things I was looking for was an area rug, they were one of the few that had those but they were expensive. On average, these rugs were over a thousand dollars each. I understand that the merchandise supports a very good cause. Come see the huge assortment of merchandise and maybe you'll find your hidden treasure!

Thank you for your review and feedback! Our pricing is based on brand (we get many high end pieces), quality, and condition. You’re right too, we are a consignment store, not a thrift shop. 

I bought nothing, but this place is amazing. Lots of it is pricey, but I think it's because they know what they are selling and too it is consignments. Absolutely organized. Giving 3 stars due to pricing, Even consignments should be as expensive as some things were
($500 for a lamp???)

Hi, we would like to learn more regarding your daughter's experience. Would you please call Karen Koblenz, CEO, 941-955-7859. Thank you.

My daughter and I had a ball in here this afternoon! Selection and quality are amazing. My daughter was all excited with the treasures she found and then she checked out with a blonde woman in a pink sweater who was mean to her. She told my daughter to speak up even though my daughter clearly answered her question of credit or debit. My daughter is so sweet and would never disrespect her elders, but it really sucked that that's how our fun afternoon ended. Also, my daughter overheard a second cashier say to the rude cashier, "I might as well go back to work at the bank!" Great store but really disappointed that my daughter left the store feeling badly.

Thanks for your recent comment.  We value your opinion and take all feedback we receive seriously, as we always strive to evolve and do the best job we can. There is always room for improvement and no one person or business is perfect. In fact, our non-profit organization consists of primarily volunteers supervised by a handful of paid employees.
To clarify, the vast majority of our inventory, 92%, is made-up of consignments although donations are an excellent way to support our mission. In fact, our consigners receive 60% of the sale price.
You were correct; we do utilize Ebay in addition to other paid re-sale, not retail, sites as a guide for pricing. With that said we use Ebay Sold prices and then price at 65% of the average amount. 
As for the markdown system you referenced, again, you were correct when you wrote that if you wait a month or longer for the markdown price, chances are the item that caught your eye will have sold. The Exchange deals in volume and as a result, our goal is to turn merchandise quickly. In fact, of the number of items sold during the month of June, 50% sold at full price. The average number of days items are on the sales floor before they sell is 33 out of a 59-day consignment period. This is only one of the ways we determine if we are pricing correctly.  Again, no one is perfect, but we do have checks and balances in place to help us gauge pricing.
As for your comment about The Exchange making money hand over fist, I would like to make it very clear that we are a non-profit and therefore the profits earned support local arts and cultural organizations and students pursuing a higher education in the arts.
Thanks to our shoppers, consigners and dedicated volunteers, this year alone, The Exchange paid out more than $2.8 million to consigners, grants and scholarships awarded and  merchandise donated, all of which benefits our local community.
Again, we would like to thank you for your feedback; we will strive to do even better.

Don't let the massive amount of secondhand items fool you. This is not a thrift store nor a true consignment store. It's the worst of both worlds!

Many of the items are obviously donated, so come with the wear and tear that you see from donated goods. But they don't use that as a reason to not price things high. So you end up with secondhand merchandise at retail prices. Well, this is remedied by the "date discounts" that lowers the price the longer the item has been there. Well that helps in a month or two but not when you're there shopping. What invariably ends up happening is you find something neat that you like, the price is too high, you figure you'll come back in a month when it's cheaper, and you come back and it's gone.

This brings me to another point that makes this place basically a normal retail establishment. They look up prices for items on Ebay. Well that's all well and good, if you're selling your items on Ebay! The internet reaches millions of people, the local brick and mortar store reaches hundreds of thousands less. So you see lots of stuff sitting for ages and ages.

Now, this system works super well for The Exchange and I'm sure they make money hand over fist. But for the average shopper coming in it leads to frustration.

In summary, if you want used secondhand goods at retail prices, this is the place for you. If you like your donated goods not to be overpriced, try one of the dozen other thrift stores in the area. I would suggest SPARCC treasure chest as they have nice reasonably priced donated goods that go to a great cause.

We’re sorry to hear you feel this way. The current set up is really to make it easier for people to shop and find what they mayo be  looking for quicker. The layout is also ADA compliant now. Please follow our Facebook page as we post new furniture items each week and you may just find something you love. Thank you for the feedback.

I miss the old set-up, the way the store was before they gained the extra space for furniture.  Before it felt more like a treasure hunt, now it feels like a department store.  It lost its charm for me.  The furniture is less eclectic and more mainstream (boring) than before and you never find those charming or quirky low priced antique or furniture treasures any more.  I used to go every Saturday, now I've only been about 2-3 times since they renovated.  They are very nice people, very helpful and the money goes to support the arts, which is wonderful.

Hi Valeriana, thank you for your feedback and we are sorry to hear that your problem was not taken care of. Please stop by the Exchange with the earbuds Mon - Thurs and ask for CEO, Karen Koblenz. We want to make this right.

Absolutely Appalling Customer Service

I am beyond disappointed with this retail consignment shop. My grandson recently purchased a pair of earbuds from them – the box was sealed, the item was about seven dollars. Seemed like a harmless little buy. However, once we got home and opened it, the earbuds didn’t work at all. We followed all instructions and even called the manufacturer’s customer service, who walked us through multiple troubleshooting steps. Final verdict? The earbuds were defective and needed to be returned.

So we did what any reasonable person would do – we brought the item back to the store. That’s where the absurdity began. The woman I spoke to, who I was told was the manager, coldly informed me that they do not accept returns or issue refunds. Period. No exceptions, even when the product is non-functional.

I explained that refund and return policies hinge on the assumption that what you purchase actually works. But she didn’t care. I told her in good faith she should refund my grandson his seven dollars. She refused – with arrogance, condescension, and not an ounce of customer care. Her dismissiveness was infuriating.

Out of curiosity, I looked at other reviews and wasn’t surprised to find a consistent theme: poor customer service, arrogant attitudes, and unhelpful staff. That checks out.

It’s such a shame because this shop is very close to my home and and I’ve bought many things there over the years. I know their profits help fund the arts and I like supporting them. Not only have I noticed how unfriendly and aloof the volunteers are, but they have this unfortunate reputation, that I have now encountered. I've never had an experience like this before and never write reviews like this but this latest experience sealed the deal – I’ll make sure others know what kind of operation they’re running.

Hello Vickie, we are truly sorry to hear you feel this way. We did speak with the volunteer and watch the camera footage and did not see what you described. However, we want you to feel comfortable when you shop with us so customer service is continually discussed with the volunteers. We thank you for the feedback and look forward to you shopping with us again. Thank you. 

As a black 65 year old woman, this has happened to me several times while visiting your store. I was there this morning I approached the fine jewelry counter. The woman there never acknowledge me. When I made eye contact, she’d turn her back. I walked over to the silver counter, they were slow to greet me, however, they acknowledge me. I walked back over to fine jewelry, again she ignored me, however, the gentlemen there greeted me. As I was walking away a white woman walked up to the counter, the woman behind the counter greeted her immediately and very professionally , the way I expected to be treated. This has not been the first time I have been treated that way in your store. Why I come back, because you have nice merchandise and I often purchase items. I brought it to her attention and of course she denied it. Thank you!

Liz, thank you for bringing this to our attention, we would like to learn more. Please call 941-955-7859 and ask for Karen or Kathleen. Thank you.

We visited twice and both times the staff found a reason to be rude to my family. My daughter was accused of spending too much time in the bathroom “on her phone” when she was taking care of menstrual needs. The next time we were pestered by a dressing room attendant for trying on “too many items” after I was told there was no limit. No limit is posted. Don’t they want to sell anything? So disappointing.

Deb, we apologize for your most recent experience at the store. As you know, this is not the norm. We would like to learn more. Please call Karen Koblenz at 941-955-7859, ext 306 at your earliest convenience so we may get this corrected. Thank you

I have enjoyed dropping into this store for years and have found many treasures for outfitting my winter home here in Sarasota. I have noted, that on my last few visits, the volunteers have been somewhat rude and dismissive (with some exceptions of course). They all seem very unhappy which seems odd for volunteers.
My last experience was over the top. I had some questions in the furniture department and all the staff were downright rude, not just to me but to other customers in the store. We all seemed to be just an irritant to them.  It was bad enough that I will never be returning. This is such a shame but I will take both my donations and business elsewhere.

Hi Hannah,
We are very sorry to hear about your experience and hope you know that this is definitely not the norm. Our over 250 volunteers, not paid staff, are the reason we are able to give back each year to our local arts organizations and students pursuing a higher education in the arts, though this is no excuse for the way you were treated. Our volunteers go through customer service training, but obviously some slip through the cracks. This will be addressed and we hope you will still shop with us in the future. Thank you.

I'm from out of state and visiting family for Thanksgiving, and my folks recommended this store to look for work clothes for my upcoming new job. It's an hour drive away from where I was staying, but I trusted my family's recommendation and wanted to give it a try. The selection was nice and some of the home décor is super cute, but I have never experienced such rude, condescending, and argumentative customer service. When I was trying clothes on, some fell off the hooks inside the dressing room and onto the floor. Almost immediately someone pounded on the door and told me to take the clothes off the floor. This made me feel extremely uncomfortable since I felt like I was being watched and the dressing rooms have no locks. When I exited the dressing room and went to hang up the clothes I had tried on, the same woman came after me and scolded me for letting the clothes fall on the floor. I apologized and explained how they fell and it was an accident, and I was shocked when the woman accused me of throwing the clothes on the floor intentionally. When I told my family about my experience, they were surprised to hear that I encountered such poor customer service. I don't know if the volunteer training might be different or if the stress of the holidays are getting to people, but seeing that a different reviewer had a similar experience recently, there are many other second-hand stores to shop at without being berated as a customer.

Consignment store for furniture, decor, clothing, bags & shoes, with proceeds benefitting the arts.

The Exchange Inc.

Hours

Ted Cantwell

Elizabeth Gingerich

Angel A.M.G.

Kacey Lenahan

Kara Johnson

Alexa Martin

Patrick McDonough

Brian Craft

Veronica Botts

Tracy Turner