The owners of Michelle’s Closet, a new consignment shop downtown, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new business in front of the store at noon Tuesday. Several members from the Pullman Chamber of Commerce joined Michelle Kelly and Michael Kelly to celebrate the shop’s opening.

Michael Kelly said he and his wife Michelle thought something was missing in Pullman’s downtown area after they returned to the city in January. Previously, the Kellys lived in New York after they both completed their undergraduate degrees at WSU.

Michael Kelly received his master’s of business administration from WSU in March, and Michelle Kelly will complete hers this March, Michelle Kelly said.

“There’s not a lot of retail clothing stores in the city besides Walmart and we wanted to fill that gap,” Michael Kelly said.

That inspired the couple to lease the space that Retro Riot used to occupy on Grand Avenue. Michelle Kelly said it was their dream to both become business owners one day and they took the opportunity with this space to fill one of the city’s business needs.

“We need quality clothing at a moderate price,” she said.

The shop sells consignment men’s and women’s clothing, which the store has received from other people or places. Michael Kelly said the shop plans to include a children’s section in the future.

He said when someone donates an item, the shop gives them a return rate of 30, 40 or 50 percent when they sell the item based on its condition and original sales price.

JoReen Brinkman, Pullman Chamber of Commerce board of directors member, said the shop is good for the city and she is excited about its opening.

“This creates another shopping opportunity, so people don’t have to leave to go to Moscow,” Brinkman said.

Michelle Kelly said she is in love with Pullman and was dead set on opening the store in its downtown area. After she saw that sorority houses did consignment sales on their blogs, she wanted to bring that experience downtown.

The store was originally planned to be a women’s clothing store, but the space from the building allowed the couple to expand to men’s clothing and eventually children’s clothing as well, she said.

Michael Kelly said the building owner had only one condition: They could do whatever they wanted with the space if they kept the iconic Mario image intact by the building’s entrance.

“We love Mario so we had no problem with keeping it,” he said.

The shop is a fun and inclusive place for everyone, Michelle Kelly said. It is designed more like a boutique to create a better shopping environment.

“We have so many people that ask us what sizes we have,” she said. “We have every size.”

Michael Kelly said the shop is here for people in Pullman who want to try an affordable and different shopping experience.