Introducing Our Featured Boutique Section & SHE Boutique

Retail Minded is dedicated to linking independent  retailers and wholesale professionals together as well as providing educational support to both sides of the retail industry. One of the ways we are doing this is through a new section in our IN THE SPOTLIGHT section where we feature online stores. The feature includes a brief review by Retail Minded as well as has questions and answers provided by the store. It is our hope that other stores as well as wholesalers can learn from this feature in addition to being introduced to each other for potential business.

Keep an eye out for a more detailed section of wholesalers and designers IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

I am excited to introduce to you our first featured online store, SHE Boutique at www.shopsheboutique.com.

Offering fashion savvy women styles from around the world, SHE Boutique is a must stop shop for those who consider themselves in the know with fashion. Fashions are up to date and even ahead of what is in style, providing customers a great assortment of casual and dress wear. Their online boutique offers customers the opportunity to shop by designer or by category, making it easy to navigate and find what you need or what you simply must have. With apparel, accessories, handbags, swimwear and more available, those in the know of fashion need to know about this site!

SHE boutique has a storefront location in Highland Park, IL, as well as has an online store at www.shopsheboutique.com.

All answers provided have been answered directly by SHE boutique.

When did you first begin your business?

The first SHE Boutique was opened in Lincoln Park in June of 2007.

What inspired you to begin your business?

Proprietor Nicolette Prpa and original Buyer Lindsey Madigan are the faces behind this fashion mecca. Having met in Arizona in 2006, the pair combined their savvy business skills and their passion for fashion to bring their West coast flair and cosmopolitan taste to the city of Chicago in May of 2007.  The goal was to create a high-end “dream closet” for her customers, dressing them for a night on the town, or a casual movie night.  In fact, SHE is actually an acronym for She Has Everything. SHE strives to bring the ultimate shopping experience to each customer, so don’t be surprised if we remember your name!

How do you currently market your store? Please include all marketing initiatives you take to promote your business.

The grand opening of the original SHE location also marked the launch of a Marc Baptiste photo collection, and our Highland Park opening just nine months later was hosted by radio station 101.9 THE MIX.  SHE has orchestrated numerous fashion shows at various Chicago locales such as The Underground and Madame Tartine, and has also articipated in Fashion Tea at the Peninsula Hotel a number of times. The past two years, SHE has teamed up with GenArt and hosted two fashion shows highlighting new trends and merchandise. In June 2008, the Daily Candy hosted an event in honor of our one year anniversary, and July 2008 marked the official launch of the online webstore www.shopSHEboutique.com.  In January 2009, SHE Boutique’s Lincoln Park location hosted an event called The Influencer List, celebrating Chicago style and 4 of Chicago’s fashion influentials. We have been featured in several magazine publications. We currently have a page dedicated to some of SHE’s Spring arrivals in the February edition of People StyleWatch.

Who is your target market of consumers?

We strive to be the ultimate destination for savoir-fare fashion fans, catering mostly to the fashion forward consumer looking for a combination of sophistication and glamour through this-season trends mixed with classic pieces.  Our market consists of a wide age range, from young club-goers to established professionals to everyday fashion conscious women.

What kind of products do you primarily sell? This is not brands but just categories of products.

Dresses, Pants (ranging from denim to trousers), Tops, Handbags, Outerwear, Jewelry, Eyeware, Lingerie and Intimates, Swimwear, and Shoes (ranging from ballet flats and heels to knee high boots).

What are your top 5 brands that you sell? What are your top 5 products sold?

There are a number of designers which we always carry, but we cycle through many designers and each season has a quite variation – it’s difficult to say what our top brands have been overall.

The top 5 brands we’ve carried/sold most are: What Comes Around Goes Around, Obakki, Smythe, Black Halo, and Ya-Ya.

Our top 5 products sold are/have been: SWORD leather jackets, Ksubi jeans, Bloch London ballet flats, KAIN by Amanda Kain tops, and Rory Beca silk tunics.

Who do you consider your direct competition to be?

In terms of web competition, the web stores with similar level designers catering to a similar market are those such as shopbop.com and bluefly.com.  For storefront competition, we considered retailers such as Intermix and CUSP to be our competitors, yet with the closure of our city location, we face less competition in our suburban location.

How do you find new products to bring into your store?

Owner Nicolette Prpa visits tradeshows, designer showrooms, and fashion weeks in places such as Paris, New York, LA, Las Vegas, and Canada.  We keep an eye out for less-known, new and rising designers and brands. We also will feature local designers, often for a limited time only.

What trade shows do you attend, if any?

We visit ENK Coiterie, Designers and Agents, Rendesvous (in Paris), Intermezzo, Tranoi,

What is your biggest challenge as a retail store owner / manager right now?

Currently our biggest challenge is getting customers in the door to shop, with the economic crisis we’re going through, people are tightening their budgets and leaving their wallets at home all too