It’s a gift: The Building Boutique in Bentonville offers one-of-a-kind selection

With the arrival of the holiday season comes permission to shop. And Jacquie Queen, owner of The Building Boutique in Bentonville, is ready to oblige her customers.

“Different. I think that’s what they expect to find here,” she says of her unique collection. “We do all the price points, so there’s something for everyone. And we have things no one else has.”

The boutique’s loyal clientele expects to find original offerings here. The women’s clothing, accessories and newly added gifts for the home in the vibrant store on Walton Blvd. in Bentonville highlight natural materials, American and Canadian-made, handmade and one-of-a-kind finds.

Owner-designer Jacquie came up to Northwest Arkansas from Dallas in the 80’s, to get back to her roots and to put her fashion design and buying experience to work on her own terms. She first opened The Building nearly 28 years ago in Gravette, and has seen scores of small retailers come and go in that time. Hard work, a keen sense of what her customers are looking for, and sheer determination are factors in Jacquie’s ability to stay in the retail game (one of her Instagram hash tags is# save my brick and mortar ).

“It’s about what we do that other people don’t do,” Jacquie states.

As for competition with online shopping, she believes the personal service and retail experience she offers is something her customers can’t get in front of a computer screen, or even at the big department stores.

“I try to make it entertaining,” she says of her store environment. “I’m ready to challenge those online shoppers.”

‘Shopping in real-time,’ as she calls it, has more to offer in terms of value and just plain enjoyment—especially for gift-giving.

“You get the immediate gratification, you get to check the quality,” she notes. “When I offer a nice gift collection, I want it to be the most you can get for your money, so that the gift looks that much nicer.”

New to the store is what Jacquie is calling her “zen collection” of semi-precious stone accessories for the home. The items include candleholders, wind chimes, coasters, and bookends crafted from natural crystals and semi-precious stones. A collection of handmade, one-of-a-kind, jewelry from various artists, some of them local, also provides unique and giftable choices.

“We have customers who can have what they want,” Jacquie says. “So it’s great to be able to gift them something that’s beautiful that you can be pretty sure they don’t have, because each is absolutely unique and individual.”

The boutique’s selection of wraps, scarves, ponchos, shrugs, stoles and neckpieces in knits, hand-painted silks, faux fur, fabric “shred” and more is also impressive. Looking at them is something akin to art appreciation, with bursts of color, interesting textures and dramatic shapes.

“I have them for shorter girls, I have them for taller girls,” Jacquie points out. “I want to be able to cover generations. If someone is sitting in a wheelchair, we’ve got something for them too.”

Besides being great one-size-fits-all gifts, accessories are fantastic way to make a look pop. Adding the right accessory, Jacquie maintains, is “the difference between something nice, and something fabulous. It’s about turning any little thing into a great outfit.”

Her “coat collection of the year” is from Samuel Dong. These are amazing coats in multi-season fabrics with high-end details and silhouettes.

Visit The Building now for a selection unlike any other in Northwest Arkansas. Treat yourself and gift those you love. The store does same-day gift-wrapping and also offers shopping parties.

“I’m going for it,” says Jacquie. “I’m presenting value and quality, but still a style that says: ‘it’s us, it’s different.’”