In Good Fashion
Local women’s clothing retailers talk shop about what it takes to survive—and thrive—in today's e-commerce world
We know: Sometimes you just need to scroll through Amazon, Zappos or another online shopping site in search of that perfect pair of sandals or strappy sundress. Maybe you’re wearing your pajamas, maybe you have a glass of wine in your hand. No matter the scenario, there’s definitely a time and place for online shopping, especially in the hectic lives we all lead today.
But there’s also nothing like the feeling of a personalized shopping experience in an actual brick-and-mortar local boutique. When you know that the items for sale have been chosen with care and there’s a friendly staff waiting to offer advice and assistance, an IRL shopping trip can provide options and service you don’t get when scoring deals on Zulily from your couch.
That’s why several local women’s fashion retailers are more than holding their own amid the omnipresence of online shopping and drawing in customers who want to do more than just click.
“There’s no way I’m going to be able to compete with Shopbop and Amazon,” says Jennifer Williams, owner of Jennifer’s in Fort Myers. “But what I can be is someone who’s going to recognize you when you walk in the door and know what you bought last month. If you’re looking for price you’re probably shopping online, but if you’re looking for an experience and over-the-top customer service, then you’re going to be in a store like mine.”
Jennifer’s has been in business in Fort Myers since 1983, long before anyone could even conceive of shopping through a computer or cell phone. “I started the business before there were even fax machines,” says Williams. “I was sending my purchase orders through snail mail.”
The internet has made tasks like that easier, but it also means independent boutiques have to make choices about the best ways to use it to market and sell their products. Jennifer’s, for example, has a website but it doesn’t sell merchandise online.
“We have that online presence to make the statement that we’re here, and it does drive people into the brick-and-mortar store,” says Williams, who carries casual but sophisticated styles from brands like Astars, Rails and Sanctuary. “But I don’t ever foresee selling online.”
The Looke, a boutique that opened at the Marina Village Shops in Cape Coral in 2016, does sell merchandise online. And while a website helps the store stay connected with seasonal customers or former customers with whom co-owner Stacy Gervais worked when she and her dad owned a Hallmark store in Maine, it hasn’t been a huge generator of sales.
Instead, it helps reinforce the personality of the shop, whose motto is “Have a drink, buy a dress!” Customers are, in fact, offered a glass of champagne (or mimosas on Sunday), which they can enjoy as they browse racks of brightly colored clothing that mixes Florida fashion with nautical New England style from lines like Jude Connally, Julie Brown NYC and Gretchen Scott.
“We definitely have a point of view, and that point of view is enjoy yourself,” says Gervais, who runs the shop with her sister, Muffy Ellis. “What we’re selling is not just the product but also the experience. And that is what hopefully will set us apart from online shopping. Plus, if I’m really going to go invest money in something that I’m going to keep for a long time, I want to feel the material.”
Another boutique that does well despite the trend to shop online is the Peach Republic on Sanibel Island. “I have a select inventory of hand-picked merchandise that cannot easily be found elsewhere,” explains Sue Bobak, the fashion-savvy owner
of the store that’s been around for 25 years. “My customers return year after year because at the Peach Republic they can purchase one-of-a-kind fashions from some of the finest designers available.”
Most independent retailers use Facebook and Instagram to show off new merchandise and help draw customers into the store. “It creates that urgency,” says Tiffany Fortunato, owner of To the Moon Boutique, which first opened at the Promenade at Bonita Bay in Bonita Springs in 2013. “We have new things coming in every week. Customers have learned that if they see something on Instagram, they need to get in here and get it before it’s gone.”
When shoppers do visit these stores, they’ll be treated to extras they won’t find online. At Jennifer’s that includes full-service alterations and gift wrapping. To the Moon Boutique offers personal styling services and hosts “girl parties,” where groups of women can have a just-for-them shopping experience in the store complete with snacks, drinks and discounts.
Fortunato also worked as a designer in New York before opening the boutique, so she brings that expertise to her purchasing decisions. “Because of my design background, I’m super picky about the way things are made and how they feel,” she says. “My customers know that I’m not going to have anything that’s not good quality, and that trust has definitely been a major plus for me.”
For these stores, it’s about building relationships that go beyond impulse buys or free shipping. “Yes, we’re selling products,” says Fortunato, who carries on-trend lines like Show Me Your Mumu and BuddyLove. “But it’s really about making
“We definitely have a point of view, and that point of view is enjoy yourself. What we’re selling is not just the product but also the experience.” —Stacy Gervais, co-owner of The Looke
people feel good and making them feel beautiful. I call myself the world’s worst salesperson. But if you’re not comfortable in something, I say don’t get it. I want customers to feel like they love every single piece they’ve bought here.”