Hi,
My name is Susan Smith. Sure. And my husbands name is Bill Smith. It really is. And I absolutely love everything about retail. Okay. What else. And I started and owned a chain of women’s boutiques in the Midwest for more than 19 years. Then the Great Recession hit and changed everything. When I started my stores in the 1990’s things were very different. There was no internet. No mobile phones. No apps. And now 20 years later the internet and mobile phones have created 24/7 limitless selection and limitless knowledge. While many things have changed, many things have remained the same.
One thing that remains is my “addiction” to retail. I was told by the amazing merchant who trained me “that retail is an addiction” not a job. She was right. My “addiction” began in the 3rd grade when my Mom took me to New York to shop. Since then I’ve shopped around the world in my personal travels as well as for my stores. I’ve attended market for the past 19 years in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, and/or Toronto seeking the best in clothing, accessories, shoes and gift items. Always seeking the unique, the unusual, the best value, the newest. Always looking for those thing my customers wanted, needed or desired.
I learned a lot in those 19 years. I was lucky. I had a great teacher, mentor and friend. She was a true merchant. She taught me how to edit. She taught me how to judge quality. She taught me how to trend spot. She taught me how to buy. I started this blog to share what she taught me. To share what I learned as a boutique owner and buyer. To share with other boutique owners, buyers, designers, brands and showrooms.
If you would like me to review your boutique, your brand or your showroom contact me. If you need help sourcing new brands, improving your merchandise mix, revising your vendor structure or marketing your business I’d love to talk with you.
Contact Info: Susan.Smith2983@gmail.com
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