CAR WASH OFFERS STYLISH BOUTIQUE
Rubber Ducky Boutique offers clothing, home decor.
Afewwe eks ago, I decided to treat my truck to a spa date at the Rubber Ducky car wash at the corner of Southern Boulevard and Olive Avenue in West Palm Beach. The Nissan deserves to be spoiled, too. As I handed the keys off and saw it go, I walked inside the shop for some leather-seat wipes and car freshener. What I found was anything but.
This car wash didn’t sell any car products. No odor removal sprays, no wipes, no tire cleaner. They didn’t even have those tacky, “My friend went to Florida and got me this” postcards with naked Baywatch wannababes printed on them. You know, the staple car wash things.
Instead, I found the Rubber Ducky Boutique. And trust me, it’s much cooler than the stereotypical car wash. It’s a cura tedstore with men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, along with very artsy and elaborate home decor items. Board shorts? Heck, yeah.
“We wanted to stay away from the convenience store model. We wanted to give people something fun to do, an experience,” said owner Paolo Weston. “We used to have people waiting sometimes up to 20 minutes for their car, and there wasn’t anything fun to do. Not anymore.”
Now, the once “dead zone” lobby, as Weston puts it, is a stylish boutique and local destination where not just people getting
their car washed swing by.
Customers can find scented candles, picture frames, birthday gifts and even baby clothes.
Definitely a unique take on a gift shop, the Rubber Ducky Boutique is what you’d get if Elizabeth Ave Station married HomeGoods.
“Usually, everyone is confused when they walk in,” said boutique store manager Yanelese Quiles. “Once they start looking, they realize this is pretty cool — something really cool while you’re waiting for your car.”
The boutique at Rubber Ducky in West Palm opened in February, just a few weeks after the concept debuted at 1400 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton. Most of the merchandise comes from local business owners or small “mom and pop” businesses.
Weston says the concept has worked in both locations, which is why they’re adopting the boutique idea for their third Rubber Ducky location in Jupiter.
They expect it to be ready by the end of this year or early next year.
So, are there any car products at the boutique in West Palm? Not yet, the owner explained. But hopefully soon.
“We’re looking for more eco-friendly, natural car fresheners,” said Weston during a phone interview. “We want to stay true to the idea of clean living.”