Kick It announced a renewed focus and a name change to Kick It Boutique (from Kick It Boots & Stompwear). Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions about the change:
Q1 - Why the name change? Why Now?
A1~As we entered this, our 9th year in business, we conducted a market survey to see where we've been and where we're headed. This is what we concluded:
- Fashion is an ever changing industry and Seattle fashion consumers are ahead of the race to stay current. As such, our edge in the market place turns out to be our apparel & accessories (i.e: the Boutique-side).
- Stagnation in retail is a killer, and we determined that our footwear category has stagnated. So to stay relevant and grow our apparel business we will no longer carry footwear (i.e.: the Boots & Stompwear-side).
- Lightning fast demographic changes in our community, have encouraged us to add new lines to attract new customers. This exciting opportunity allows us to grow.
- Loyal customers continue to drive our business and we have an opportunity to honor them and keep them coming back by expanding the categories they have come to love and rely upon including soft basics, great fitting denim, specialty sweaters, day dresses, and comfortable casuals.
- The economy is notably improving and the renewed commitment to shopping local further fuels the opportunity for us to take a few risks and change it up!
A-2~ Although we adore boots and have probably sold enough pairs over the years to "shoe" a small nation, the recent swell of on-line footwear sales has made it difficult for Bricks-n-Mortar shops to compete. Also, specialty boutiques like ours simply can not carry a large enough selection to compete with huge boot selections at major department stores. Lastly the boot craze that started 10 years ago has settled, so we are looking forward to what's next.
Q3 - Will the clothing change?
A3~ We have a three-part answer: Yes, No and Maybe.
Change is the Life Blood of Retail (The Yes). We are excited to bring in new lines to offer our shoppers a wider selection of leading edge fashion at reasonable prices. We recently attended three garment tradeshows in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Portland to fullfill that goal. We ordered up a storm of new exciting women's contemporary lines~most are made in the U.S.A.~with a strong emphasis on quality and fabric. Moving forward, we reject any low grade garments in favor of well-made garments in lux fabrics and timeless hues that work season after season. Of course we love a little fashion drama so look for unusual, eclectic statement pieces, too.
We are staying true to our founding mission (The No)...to provide casual, on-trend apparel for the fashion forward Seattle Urbanista with an emphasis on fine fabrics, good fits for "normal" sized women, from an array of mostly American-made manufactures, at prices comparable to a mainstream department store. We will be expanding the lines customers have come to love that meet this threshold.
Experimentation is Key (The Maybe)! This Fall, Kick It Boutique will bring in several new advanced lines to up the ante and raise the stakes. We will be testing out a few aspiring designers from Portland, Spain, Italy and New York to see what our customers desire and aspire to collect. We will be experimenting with new home-bath-body products to get a feel for this "girly" category and determine our shoppers' interests. Who knows, we may even carry black licorice (we're addicted). Either way, the future looks so bright that...uh...we better add shades to the new line up, too.
Q4 - Are your prices going to change?
A4~We are trending toward better quality garments that will still be affordable. In an effort to expand our offerings of high-grade fabrics, better fitting dresses, new designer lines and exquisitely made accessories and jewelry we will be adding "better" priced items to our mix. But don't worry, you will not get sticker shock. We believe the value of the higher ticket items will make sense, once you touch and try them on. And, we will continue to carry a great selection of really affordable, good quality clothing from the favorite brands you have come to love over the years.
Q5 - Do you have any other changes on the way?
A5~Why, Yes! We'll have another big announcement this June. Stay tuned to this blog, join our mailing list, or follow us on Facebook for all the Kick It news and updates that are fit to report.
Subscribe to our mailing list here (we reach out about 2-3 times a year)
Do you have a question to add to this FAQ? Email us at kickitboutique@gmail.com
1 comment:
So excited about the changes! Change is good! Change is fun! Change keeps us fresh and agile! Congrats on the upgrade and I can't WAIT to see what's in store for June!
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