Retail-rental formal dress store discovers its groove
Business thrives during pandemic by turning to consignment for events
Being called a fairy godmother by her clients never crossed Anne-marie Tabao's mind when she opened a formal dress and wedding gown retail and rental boutique, but it's the moniker she's been given by thankful clients she dresses for formal events at a fraction of what the dresses cost.
Tabao opened her storefront boutique, La Jolie Robe, on Harwood Blvd. in Vaudreuil-dorion last February, after operating out of her home for a year.
“I didn't have too much capital and didn't want a bank loan, but I knew the business model existed downtown, but there's nothing like it in the suburbs,” explained Tabao. “So, I rounded up friends and family who owed many gowns, including myself. I knew if we put all our gowns together, we would have a great inventory.”
Tabao gathered 200 dresses to start with and said she now carries 3,000 in sizes from XS to 3X. In her first year, most of Tabao's clients were businesswomen on the gala circuit.
“They loved it because they didn't have to spend $500 or $600 every time they went to a soirée and some went to 10 a year,” Tabao said.
With formal charity and business events all but non-existent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tabao switched her focus to wedding parties and proms. Her wedding-gown revenue relies mostly on sales of new gowns, but she said there's a niche rental market for “elopements, civil weddings, vow renewals and simple ceremonies.”
To consign a dress, a client makes an appointment to have it appraised and then signs a contract to lend the boutique her dress. Tabao pays for dry cleaning and the client receives 30 per cent of the profits from rentals. Clients who rent pay from $45 for a cocktail dress and from $100 for a gown and keep it for a week. Tabao said clients save between 50 to 75 per cent of the retail price of the dress. Temporary alternations can also be made.
Dorval resident Sam Mountain rented a gown from La Jolie Robe for a wedding in England two years ago and now has dresses on consignment. “It was a Bcbg-style gown,” Mountain said. “With all the expenses of travelling to a wedding, I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress.”
Tabao, a Vaudreuil-dorion resident, has kept her day job as a logistics analyst while pursuing her dream of entrepreneurship. Despite being closed for several months during the pandemic, she's hired three part-time employees and in May will move to a larger space next door. About La Jolie Robe's survival, Tabao said she benefited from the federal government's Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) interest-free business loan, as well as an understanding landlord and a loyal clientele.
“Sometimes clients end up not saying yes to the dress but end up bringing the rest of their family and bridal party for their dresses. If you offer great service, a client will always come back. We've found ways to accommodate clients with the limited number of people allowed inside, like we've set up Zoom and video chats so their loved ones can be part of the dress experience.”
About cancelled proms, Tabao said: “Clients came anyway last year because parents still wanted their daughters to have a special day. The dress became a gift. They had little grad parties at home. This year, I haven't stopped for prom since February.”
Tabao said she knew she had made the right decision to launch her business when she was able to find a similar consignment dress for a prom client who had her heart set on a $600 princess dress her mother couldn't afford.
“After they left, I cried. It was a moment for me. I knew I was heading in the right direction.”