Luxury location: The RealReal cuts ribbon on major Perth Amboy facility

The RealReal has cut the ribbon on a 492,276-square-foot Perth Amboy warehouse for luxury consignment, including clothing and home furnishing.

The facility is the second New Jersey location for the brand leader.

The RealReal currently has a location in Secaucus, as well as Brisbane, California.

“They came to the city and are making a huge investment,” Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz told ROI-NJ.

Adding The RealReal is a significant boost for the city, which has seen interest from companies looking for a combination of space and an urban zone, Diaz said.

The company moving in represents a portion of a half-billion-dollar investment from multiple corporations, she said, and will help the city’s tax ratables.

Especially since the company is occupying a facility that has been vacant for three years, Diaz said.

And the company has already invested in the city’s work force.

The company anticipates hiring more than 700 people to fill the jobs needed at the new site, and has already been working with the city to fill those jobs with local residents.

Diaz said the company has already held a couple of fairs and hired at least 100 people.

Positions the company will be filling in the next few months include gemologists, authenticators, merchandisers, fulfillment and operations staff.

“That’s job creation and helps the economy of our community,” Diaz said. “Things are turning around in the city now.”

In a statement, The RealReal Chief Operating Officer Rati Levesque touted the growth into Perth Amboy.

“We’re thrilled to further establish roots in New Jersey and have the support of Mayor Diaz,” she said. “In addition to the valuable community of talent here, New Jersey is perfectly situated to keep pace with demand we have seen especially on the East Coast.”

The company was approved for Grow New Jersey tax credits in 2018, which led to it choosing Perth Amboy over Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, according to a news release from the state Economic Development Authority.

The company has also received state Department of Labor and Workforce Development grants for six on-the-job trainings for participants of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, and two other grants totaling more than $110,000 in 2017 and 2018, according to the EDA.

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