Boutique wins spot in shopping center
Pomp & Chic gets 3 months rent-free in Pop Local contest
Between them, business partners Nicole Cummens and Victoria Wisniewski have four small children, and Cummens likes to think of their business venture as their fifth.
Pomp & Chic Boutique “is our adopted child,” she said, and while it has existed only virtually since February, it is ready for a growth spurt.
The business is the winner of a contest sponsored by Orland Park-based Edwards Realty Co. that offered three months rent-free space in its Orland Park Crossing shopping center northeast of 143rd Street and
LaGrange Road.
A pool of nearly
30 applicants was narrowed to four finalists, with
Edwards recently announcing Pomp
& Chic as the winner. The business is expected to open in the bricksand-mortar space at the end of this month.
Edwards said its
Pop Local program provides entrepreneurs the opportunity to test out their products or service in a traditional retail environment, and that it has been successfully used at its retail centers in Burr Ridge and in the St. Louis suburb of Richmond Heights.
“Local small businesses like
Pomp & Chic are the bread and butter of our community,” Ramzi Hassan, Edwards’ president, said in a news release. “We are pleased to give them a platform and shine a spotlight on them at Orland Park Crossing.”
A 37-year-old Plainfield resident and single mom, Cummens works as a sales representative for an eyewear company.
“I did not take out any loans (to start the business) so my day job is my bank,” Cummens said.
Work will start soon on prepping the 1,200-square-foot space, and Cummens said that, in the meantime, she is working on things such as arranging insurance and finding paper merchandise bags, for which there is a 15-week wait.
Other tenants at the center include women’s apparel retailers Chico’s,
“Local small businesses like Pomp & Chic are the bread and butter of our community. We are pleased to give them a platform and shine a spotlight on them at Orland Park Crossing.” — Ramzi Hassan, Edwards’ president, in a news release
Talbots and White House Black Market, as well as Mariano’s, PF Chang’s and Yankee Candle.
“That plaza itself does really well, and they have a nice mix of different businesses to bring people there for different reasons,” Cummens said.
Having a physical location will be beneficial, she said, because people like to feel and touch clothes before buying.
Pomp & Chic has experienced solid growth since launching Feb. 21, Cummens said.
“Initially it was friends and family, then I started to see orders from California, Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey,” she said.
Cummens said she has made a lot of clothing purchases online during the pandemic, but hasn’t always been happy with the results. Online descriptions didn’t answer particular questions she had about an item, and some that arrived at her doorstep didn’t look as good as they did on the website, she said.
Cummens said she frequents boutiques and, in making purchases, she is selective about what she carries.
“We are able to cater more to moms just like us,” she said. “You get to a certain age and don’t want to dress like an old lady but still want to be a little hip and have your own style.”
Cummens said she and Wisniewski are passionate about body positivity, promoting self-confidence and establishing a welcoming retail environment.
Having a physical storefront “is going to allow us to connect with women face to face and help them find outfits that make them feel confident and empowered,” Cummens said.
She has two sons, a 6-yearold and an 8-year-old, and Wisniewski has a 6-yearold daughter and 2-year-old son. Cummens said she and her partner will tag-team in running the boutique.
Cummens said she had initially contacted Edwards to find out about possible space available at its Burr Ridge center, and that is how she learned about the Pop Local contest.
Opening in time for the holiday shopping season is ideal, Cummens said.
“I believe in it and it’s exciting,” she said. “I have a lot of people rallying behind me.”
The Pop Local program invited the community to vote on their favorites among the applicants, with the pool narrowed to four finalists and a panel of judges ultimately picking the winner.
“We had a wide range of local businesses that applied,” Megan Brilley, a spokeswoman for Edwards, said.
Other finalists were Aura Bazaar, a clothing boutique; Beauty and Brains Organization, a nonprofit that aims to empower young women; and Her Crystals, a business that offers healing crystals.
Edwards is also in talks with Orland Park officials aimed at crafting a master development agreement for village-owned property in the Main Street Triangle, just west of Orland Park Crossing.
The triangle, northwest of LaGrange Road and 143rd Street, includes the Ninety7Fifty on the Park apartments, University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care and a multilevel parking garage.
There are 9 acres open for development, and tentative plans envision a mix of five- and six-story buildings that could be home to office space, apartments, commercial uses and assisted living for seniors.