1) What summer trends are you excited about?
Crochet, girly things! Lots of pastels, and lace! We are a college campus but we have seen an uptick in a more mature look with lots of neutrals, and vintage athletic! Lots of polos, stripes, pleated trousers and shorts.

2) What events do you have planned for the summer season? Feel free to tell us about anything fun you have planned for fall, too! Since we are a college town, summer is pretty slow. Our 2nd anniversary is in June, and we’ll do a swag bag, treats, and a special promotion! When the students come back in the fall we do a back-to-school event for the students and offer student discounts!

3) How do you stay connected with your customers? How do you communicate with her?
We mostly communicate through Instagram. We have started to get our footing on TikTok which has been great, and we do share a lot of collections such as vacation outfits, game day, etc. We also communicate through Facebook, but our main demographic tends to be on Instagram. 

4) What is one thing that you do to stay connected and engaged with your employees? 
I’m a pretty open person, I make a point to talk and connect with them daily in the store. I want to see what my employees are shopping for, and what kind of events they have coming up. They help keep me in the loop as a lot of my employees are college students and are involved in a lot of different things on campus, like sororities! We sometimes book a special studio space for a photoshoot and I involve my employees as models and they really enjoy getting to be involved in that way! I feel so lucky because all of my employees get along really well! 

5) What are some attributes you look for when hiring a stylist/employee for your boutique?
I am always looking for an outgoing personality! I always ask them what current trends they love, and influencers that they enjoy following online and see their ability to engage in conversation surrounding those topics. I want to see that they have an interest in fashion outside of work and know that they have a desire to keep up with trends on their own and engage in those conversations with customers while they are at work, naturally as well!

5) What is your “why” behind being an owner of an Apricot Lane Boutique? 
I’ve always really loved fashion. It’s always been a vessel for me to express myself and I want other people to feel that way too. 

6) If you could give a piece of advice to a new owner, maybe someone who is about to open or who has been open less than one year, what would you say? 
I think I would say to keep in mind that you’re learning something new every single day. Always put your best foot forward. Remember that your employees can be one of your best resources, and lean into them! ALB Headquarters have always been a great resource for me and they are always very willing to help and guide me if I am ever feeling unsure about something.  Don’t be afraid to switch up your merchandising and sales floor and try new things, keep fresh inventory! Be sure to shop the competition in your area, and go around and see what kind of inventory is near you so that you know how to differentiate yourself. There are a lot of online boutiques in our community, so for me, it’s sometimes going online and seeing what is on there and asking myself what I can bring in-store so that the customer can get the in-store experience and not have to worry about sizing, etc.!

7) What are some unique things you do to elevate the environment and shopping experience in your boutique? 
I do try to keep up with what’s going on with the college campus near us and decorate for whatever big event they have going on so that the students feel like we are engaged with their world and want to shop with us! I also keep a fun cooler with refreshments available to the customers when they come in.