La'Sheek Resale Shop opens on Mayfield Road

Annette Green (left) and Gennette Tanks opened La'Sheek Resale Shop on May 18.

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In May, twin sisters Gennette Tanks and Annette Green opened La’Sheek Resale Shop on Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights. The sisters had wanted to own a business for a long time.

“We have had a resale shop on our mind for ages,” Tanks said. Green added, “The idea was to have something to do after retirement."

Tanks and Green fulfilled their dreams when they found the space that now houses La’Sheek. The name was inspired by boutiques that the pair discovered on a trip to Paris. For five months, the sisters decorated La’Sheek and collected resale items.

Now, their colorful shop includes furnishings and household items, ranging from sofas to knickknacks. The store also sells clothing for men, women and children, as well as shoes and fashion accessories.

The sisters said that their store came together through determination, despite challenges they have faced. Both Tanks and Green are cancer survivors who came from humble beginnings. Born in Mississippi, they moved to Pennsylvania before coming to Northeast Ohio.

Tanks has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren. As the first-born, Tanks said that she is the more forward of the twins. She works in fine jewelry at a department store and always thought that she would be an interior designer. At La’Sheek, she refinishes old furniture. Tanks said she likes that La’Sheek is within walking distance of the sisters’ Cleveland Heights homes. The foot traffic around the shop, and the friendly business owners on the block, are other positive aspects of the location. “We’ve been accepted really warmly here,” Tanks said.

Green, who said that her personality is more laid-back than her sister’s, has a daughter and two grandchildren. She quit her jobs at a medical facility and a department store to start La’Sheek. In her spare time, Green creates floral arrangements, including the one that adorns the front counter. Green also makes labels for every item in the resale shop out of used cereal boxes and cardboard. She said that she enjoys providing clothing advice to customers, and that La’Sheek offers quality merchandise at reasonable prices. “We wanted to make [a shop] for people who don’t have transportation and who can’t afford to go to the big stores,” Green said.

Despite their differences, the sisters are “on the same wavelength” with their business, said Tanks. The sisters agreed that their favorite aspect of running La’Sheek is that they trust each nother and come together on most decisions. Tanks said that they both enjoy the daily interaction with customers.

Tanks and Green are the only employees at La’Sheek. In the future, the sisters said they might hire other workers.  For now, they are proud that their ambition led to their new business. “I’m still in a daze about finally having a shop,” Green said.

La’Sheek Resale Shop

216-691-0137

3976 Mayfield Road, Cleveland Heights

Mon. – Fri. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sat. 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

www.lasheekresale.com