A luxury consignment boutique that spent twelve years on Santa Monica's Main Street shut its doors abruptly this month, giving customers just days to retrieve their designer handbags, clothing and jewelry before unclaimed items were donated to a Culver City thrift store. The Posh Duck, located at 2711 Main St., sold authenticated pre-owned pieces from brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada, and its sudden closure has left consignors confused, angry and chasing answers about money and merchandise they say never came back.
According to the Santa Monica Daily Press, owner Lawrie announced on August 13 that the store was closing after twelve years on Main Street, telling customers she had owned the business for five years. Lawrie asked consignors to retrieve their items in person between August 13 and August 16, warning that the store would not have time to pull individual orders and requiring customers to search the racks themselves using their account item lists. She said anything not picked up by 6 p.m. on August 16 would be donated to Love the City Thrift.
The compressed timeline caught many off guard. Several consignors reported that the pickup notice never reached them at all, according to reviews cited by the Daily Press, and at least one shopper's friend had to retrieve items on her behalf. One Yelp reviewer said the store was already empty by the time she arrived, after her online account had stopped working. Another reviewer said Lawrie was on-site clearing out racks at the time and declined to speak with her.
Bankruptcy Emails Sent, Then Retracted
Adding to the confusion, multiple consignors said they received an email on August 24 stating that The Posh Duck had filed for bankruptcy and directing them to contact an attorney. A follow-up email retracted the bankruptcy claim just hours later, instructed recipients not to contact the attorney, and said no action was required from consignors in the meantime. Lawrie said further information about outstanding account balances would follow, and told customers the business would contact consignors within 90 to 120 days about outstanding balances and remaining items.
The Posh Duck had operated both in-store and online through a consignor portal, but that portal has since been deactivated along with the store's Instagram account and phone number, per the Daily Press report. Lawrie cited a section of the consignor agreement governing unclaimed goods to justify the donation deadline. The Posh Duck's published policy on its website specified that consignors were paid monthly on the 21st for sold balances exceeding $100, while charging a $15 fee per item for any consignment goods requested back before 60 days had passed.
Questions Over Where Unclaimed Goods Went
Love the City Thrift, the Culver City store where Lawrie said unclaimed merchandise would go, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Vintage Faith Church in 2022 that directs proceeds toward unhoused residents, low-income families and addiction recovery programs, according to ProPublica. Lawrie manages that nonprofit. Several reviewers raised concerns about routing unclaimed consignment merchandise there rather than back to the original owners, and other reviewers described longer-running disputes involving sales verification and payment for items already sold. One reviewer said she was unable to verify roughly $200 she believed she was owed.
The dispute has drawn scrutiny to California's consignment law. Under California Civil Code Section 2081, commission merchants or property holders who receive goods on consignment must follow specific statutory advertising and procedural steps before selling or disposing of unclaimed items when fees or advances remain unpaid past 60 days, according to Justia Law. Multiple reviewers have filed complaints with the Santa Monica City Attorney's Consumer Protection Division, and other reviewers have encouraged fellow consignors to do the same. The division, which investigates local consumer fraud and fair business practices, can be reached by phone or by email from its office at 1685 Main Street, according to the City of Santa Monica.
One Nextdoor poster said Lawrie refused to speak with them and shouted that she was tired of being screamed at, per a post cited in the Daily Press account. Before its 2025 rebrand, the storefront at 2711 Main St. had operated as a location of The Closet Trading Co., a designer consignment franchise with locations across California and Florida. Company records show The Posh Duck's founder spent 15 years as a hospital registered nurse before opening the Santa Monica boutique in 2011 to pursue luxury fashion resale full time.
A Rough Stretch for Main Street Retail
The closure lands amid broader strain on Santa Monica's commercial corridors. City officials declared a state of fiscal distress in September 2025 amid falling international tourism and persistent retail vacancies, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. In April, the Santa Monica City Council approved a $60 million economic realignment package that includes a $3 million fund and expanded Entertainment Zones on Main Street aimed at drawing tenants and foot traffic back to the area, per Patch. Local merchants are represented by the Main Street Business Improvement Association, which counts roughly 400 business license holders among its members.
With Posh Duck gone, high-end consignment options in Santa Monica narrow to a small field, including Great Labels on Wilshire Boulevard and The RealReal on 26th Street. For now, former consignors are left waiting on the promised 90-to-120-day window for word on outstanding balances, while some pursue complaints through the city's consumer protection channels in hopes of recovering handbags, jewelry and cash they say vanished along with the shop.
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