ALB X Dreamers
“ALB X DREAMERS”
BY: RACHEL KIRGESNER
We are introducing the second installment of orders for Dreamers! Watch the video below to get all of the details on what we are offering and how to place your orders.
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WELCOME ALB AMESBURY!
“NOW OPEN: ALB AMESBURY, MA”
BY: ELLEN ODREN
I had the pleasure of working with Gretchen, her husband, Chris, her daughter, Carrington and her incredible team opening the Amesbury, MA location. Gretchen’s boutique is situated in the historic town of Amesbury, a bustling town square with unique shops and restaurants!
My favorite parts of Gretchen’s boutique were the historical brick walls, the original hardwood floors, and the spectacular tin ceiling. These features provided the perfect backdrop to let her product shine!
The community turned out in force and was so supportive of Gretchen and the team. Local business owners collaborated and were customers! I am thankful to have been a part of this opening. Gretchen and the team are doing an outstanding job styling the women of this quaint New England town!
Check out the photo gallery from their opening below!
ALB X Another Love
“ALB X ANOTHER LOVE”
BY: RACHEL KIRGESNER
For Fall 2024 we are excited to announce that we are partnering with Another Love brand!
This exclusive collaboration with Another Love will only be available to Apricot Lane Boutiques. Take a moment to watch the video below to learn how to incorporate this elevated brand into your assortment this fall.
WELCOME CELINA, TX & BAKERSFIELD, CA!
“NOW OPEN: ALB CELINA, TEXAS”
BY: ELLEN ODREN
I had the pleasure of working with Jennifer, her husband, Brandon, her daughter, Adrienne and her incredible team opening the Celina, TX location. Jennifer’s boutique, situated in the historic town of Celina, is a bustling town square about 30 minutes from the nearest hotel!
My favorite parts of Jennifer’s boutique were the historical brick walls and the Mixtile photography that showcased the town and some personal images. After months of anticipation, the community turned out in force and was so supportive of Jennifer and the team. We had a strong ALB showing with Nicole and Cidney flying in from Rome, GA, Vinci coming from Frisco, and Brieana coming with some decor pieces from her McKinney, Allen, and Fort Worth locations! I am thankful to have been a part of their opening. Jennifer and the team are doing an outstanding job styling the women of Celina, TX!
Check out the photo gallery from the opening below!
“NOW OPEN: BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA”
BY: STEPHANIE DOWNES
After working closely with Michelle and her team, I visited Bakersfeld, CA and had the privilege of seeing her gorgeous boutique. Her space is 1500 SF but feels much larger due to the large windows, which provide natural lighting, and the large Apricot Lane Sign which provides excellent visibility from the highway.
I loved the modern chandelier that Michelle chose for her space, as well as her gold fixtures, which contribute to a high-end feel of her space. She carries a variety of premium brands such as Paige, Hidden, and Free People that customers were excited to see!
Another unique feature of this location is the flower décor that Michelle made, on her “Hello Gorgeous” sign, which is the perfect spot for customers to pose for a fun social media moment! Michelle’s opening was extremely successful, and traffic was steady, which highlighted the need and enthusiasm for a new boutique in town. We had surprise visitors Ken Petersen and Shelby from Visalia, who came out to visit and show their support!
Thank you to Michelle and the team for including us throughout your journey and on your special day!
Check out the photo gallery from the opening below!
WELCOME ALB ALGONQUIN, IL
“NOW OPEN: ALB ALGONQUIN, ILLINOIS”
BY: MACKENZIE STEELE
After months of construction and hard work, I had the pleasure of working with Karen and her team at the Algonquin, IL location. Karen’s space is located about an hour outside of Chicago in a revitalized plaza just off of a busy main road.
Karen is thankful to have the support of her friends, family, and her community. Her husband Vince also played a big role in the opening of her business. We look forward to working with Karen going forward and can’t wait to see what is next for her and her team. Check out these photos below!
Check out the photo gallery from the opening below!
FEATURED OWNER OF THE MONTH: SYDNEY GRAY
FEATURED OWNER OF THE MONTH:
SYDNEY GRAY, COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
BY MORGAN TIERNEY
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.
LightSpeed Article: Scaling a Successful Apparel Boutique Franchise
“LightSpeed Article: Scaling a Successful Apparel Boutique Franchise”
POSTED ON JUNE 4TH 2024
A special ‘thank you’ to Stephanie Robinson, Winter Garden, FL owner for hosting the production of this interview in her boutique!
When you think of Orlando what comes to mind? Chances are it’s Disney World. Crowds and the accompanying chaos and cacophony of noise is part and parcel of the Orlando experience. But if you were to head about 30 minutes North, you would likely stumble upon Winter Garden—the antithesis to all things magic kingdom. There, the sidewalks demand a leisurely pace, as passersby meander with ice cream cones and iced lattes—popping into local boutiques to see what’s new. And just down from their local retro movie theatre, with a park bench made for two just outside its door, is Stephanie Robinson’s Apricot Lane.
Apricot Lane is an accessibly priced women’s apparel boutique. And although there is one location in Winter Garden—it is part of a unique franchise that boasts over 115 locations in the United States. On this day, President and CEO of the growing franchise, Chris Lanning meets me to discuss how the parent company, Country Visions Inc, has successfully scaled Apricot Lane across the US since 2007 with their 4 P operational model.
Chris Lanning boasts an incredible retail-centric resume, having worked with giants like Coca Cola and The GAP. With over 30 years of customer facing experience, Lanning is a pro with an arsenal of insights on the art of customer experience. His recent promotion, holding dual leadership positions sees his expertise being applied across all the disciplines of the business.
The four ‘P’ operational model
The charm of Apricot Lane is the feeling you’re entering a one-of-one shop. This, of course, is no accident and there are many elements considered so the best of big brand power and personal aspects of a boutique are blended into one seamless experience. Lanning uses a 4 P operational model that creates a framework that all considerations of the business are tied back to. As he defines the approach:
“The four P’s are product, people, and presentation as a way to drive more productivity—and ultimately more sales. This system ensures our franchise owners have the opportunity and the awareness of how to create a unique experience, and one that ultimately drives profitability.”
Product | Curate your offering
The product at each Apricot Lane is curated by location. At the Winter Garden location, walls are lined with a colorful selection of breezy dresses perfect for a stroll on the strip. It takes little imagination to see any of the customers who pop in changing into something off the racks and waking straight out of the store—and this is no accident. Owner Stephanie Robinson pays close attention to what moves off the shelves. Her demographic is an unusual mix of locals, snowbirds and tourists—and for this reason, you might be surprised to hear in Florida at this boutique sweaters sell well almost year round. Owners work hand in hand with vendors.
“One of the strengths and real differentiators about Apricot Lane Boutique is our vendor relationships. We have over 75 vendors that we work with on a regular basis that can help us ensure that we have the right offering in every category, within every boutique. Every boutique is curated uniquely to the customers owners have within their marketplace.”
People | Lead with a customer-centric mindset
The role of the owner can’t be minimized in hitting the mark when it comes to product. But there’s more to it than a critical eye and an affinity for fashion. Selecting individuals with true leadership qualities is the backbone of the business. The company (or “corporate” as it’s sometimes referred to by the franchisees) does much to prepare operators for the undertaking of navigating a business—but some qualities can’t be taught.
“The boutique-minded operator is someone that likes to build, create, inform, and to bring alive an experience in a sensory way. And someone that loves to coach and build a team that cares about being engaged in the community. [That type of engagement] delivers the brand in a more relevant way to the consumer, not just through transactions. These are important natural instincts for a successful entrepreneur.”
The nurturing of relationships, which is at the core of Apricot Lane’s success, isn’t just between the head office and owners but from the owners to their customers. Franchisees are encouraged to initiate marketing activities that resonate with their local community. For example, Stephanie coordinated a successful Galentine’s Day event at her Winter Garden location. And in the window there was a calendar of up-and-coming events for the month of March. The community element isn’t optics; these details underscore how the store acts as a meeting place and where people congregate—people connect.
Presentation | Consider your community
Lanning takes a broad view of presentation. It’s not just what happens within the four walls of an individual Apricot Lane—it’s outside in the community, in the marketplace and across the brand social platforms. Showcasing products in a value-add way is built into the brand. What does this mean? It means putting together outfits for the client or presenting trends in a way that makes it feel accessible to the consumer. There’s also consideration for the owners and staff, organizing items in such a way that making recommendations is easy. As Lanning explains, “In-store presentation is about bringing the brand to life from a shopping standpoint.”
At Stephanie Robinson’s location, although every square foot is bursting with new product—the presentation is soothing to take in. Tank tops are arranged in color groupings so your eye can scan across a rainbow of hues to find the perfect one. Display tables are central in the space for shoppers to consider matching accessories that might elevate their look. Half mannequins are strategically placed to highlight key trends of the season and how to layer them with other items. It feels easy and unpretentious, like shopping your girlfriend’s closet and that is intentional. But that energy extends outside of visual merchandising. Chris explains, “The other part of the presentation is outside the boutique. How do you show up in the community? How do you ensure that you’re part of things that matter? The boutique customer makes it really clear that they want to know that you care about more than just the end transaction.”
Productivity | Bring it all together
Chris likens the tools and pool of resources at the franchisee’s disposal to a team of players—their bench. But in this case instead of players, it’s a group of seasoned coaches with playbooks across all retail disciplines. The onboarding program is robust at Apricot Lane and there’s quarterly commercial planning as well as monthly meetings made available to operators.
“One of the key tools that we provide our owners is what we refer to as an open to buy. It’s an open to buy process that helps them see inside the productivity, the performance of the product that they have within their boutiques. It’s important to understand the performance of your inventory.”
Lightspeed has played a pivotal role in allowing operators to have up to the moment insights and empowering them to tailor their inventory to their customer’s evolving tastes. Lanning explains,
“The reporting that Lightspeed provides us, [franchisees] are able to see by category what’s working, what’s not working, what’s turning too fast, too slow. And through our business analyst team and partnering with our owners, we can help unlock the potential that exists within their inventory.”
Stay in your Lane
Apricot Lane stands as a strong example of delivering on your promise and not trying to be all things to all people. Lanning notes it’s a specific choice not to sell menswear, kids or even pets for that matter. Their brand interprets trends at an accessible price point for women. Zeroing in on their demographic and providing a consistent experience, one that provides premium elements of the boutique environment, is where they thrive. With an aggressive expansion plan that includes opening between 20 and 30 more locations in the coming years, Apricot Lane’s approach—stepping outside the shopping mall paradigm has provided an open road to growth. For Lanning, the linchpin is the relational component,
“The biggest difference is most big brands are more of a transaction business first. The boutique business is a relationship business first. That sounds simple, but it’s not simplistic—because the boutique minded consumer has a different expectation. It’s not price value, it’s perceived value. And it’s driven by things like they know me by name, they know my birthday. They help me choose pieces and know my favourite brands. We’re giving them a reason to return.”
Original Article Posted via LightSpeed HQ:
https://www.lightspeedhq.com/blog/apricot-lane-scaling-a-successful-franchise/
FEATURED OWNER OF THE MONTH: WHITNEY OLIVER
“FEATURED OWNER OF THE MONTH:
WHITNEY OLIVER, ALB MISSOULA
BY MORGAN TIERNEY
1) What summer trends are you excited about?
Our customer’s greatest feedback has been on the disco cowboy theme! They love the unique cowboy hats and puffed sleeves and are fully embracing the trend. Both moms and daughters! The crocheted and bohemian look is also huge and equally as fun. The customers get so excited about these unique offerings! I order accessories and jewelry from Joia, Judson, and Fame about once a week and in big orders, but they always sell! I love ordering from She & Sky and Blue B for unique pieces for the disco cowboy theme.
2) What events do you have planned for the spring season? Feel free to tell us about anything fun you have planned for summer, too.
We just completed our anniversary weekend. We brought in different women-owned vendors at various times throughout the weekend. We were busy over multiple days and guests were able to come in and select the time that best fit their busy schedules so that was fun to see! We are talking about having another event this summer where we continue to partner with other businesses in our center. We are going to be partnering with a local cookie company, and a Mexican restaurant where we will have a “Margarita Night” at the boutique. We want to offer unique experiences for our customers and make it fun!
3) How do you stay connected with your customers? How do you communicate with her?
As an owner, I find the best way to stay connected with my customers is to actively work the sales floor. I am out there at least one morning during the week and on Fridays and Saturdays. I’m actively engaging with them on our sales floor and identifying what gaps may exist in our inventory to fill the floor with what the customers need and want. We are very active on social media and provide opportunities for customers to share what they are excited about and what they are looking for. It gives us a chance to gauge if we have enough of what we are seeing the customers getting excited about! We send about 2-3 emails a month to our customers announcing new collections/arrivals/trend alerts!
4) What is one thing that you do to stay connected and engaged with your employees?
One thing that I try to do is make sure that I am working with all of my employees at some point every couple of weeks. I am only in the store 3 days a week and I intentionally rotate the employee’s schedules, so that it provides an opportunity for me to work one-on-one with them and provide in-the-moment feedback, find out what their strengths are, and just get to know them better and enjoy conversation! I try to build a personal relationship with them so they know they can openly reach out to me if they need anything. I believe because we have open communication, has benefited our entire team tremendously as it gives the leadership team the opportunity to fine-tune support our employees may need! We also text a lot and keep that line of communication open!
5) What are some attributes you look for when hiring a stylist/employee for your boutique?
When we do hiring we have developed an interview questionnaire that is situational in nature. We ask them, for example, “Tell me about a time when you encountered a challenge with a coworker, and what you did to handle the situation.” Questions like that on the front end help us get insight into how they handle different scenarios in a work environment. Certain behaviors of past experiences give you insight into how they will handle future situations. The biggest thing that we look for is personality and a positive attitude! Do they have a relatable, positive personality?! If so, all of the rest of the skills can be trained.
5) What is your “why” behind being an owner of an Apricot Lane Boutique?
I started 13 years ago as a part-time Stylist, then to a Manager, then to a Buyer. Then I helped manage and buy for multiple stores and then became a Partner, and now the Owner. Being in the franchise has really helped me learn more about myself and identify what I’m good at. I’ve learned most of the skills I have along the way and working with mentors and Headquarters. I love what I do! I enjoy working with customers. I love the challenge of developing employees and the team dynamic. I love that I get to have creative input in my business but still have support from other owners and the franchise HQ team to provide support and guidance. When I have a challenge, I have never felt alone. During the harder times, I have always had someone there to encourage me and help me become more confident in my abilities to face the next challenge and never give up! There is nothing like a Saturday afternoon buzz with customers and employees and seeing the smiles on the faces of the women who are positively impacted by what we do! I love making women feel seen and heard, and we are about providing that in a fun way through fashion!
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 would give them two pieces of advice, the first one is to use your resources. Know what they are and use them. The franchise, other owners, your employees, and other business owners in your community! There is so much support and information out there, so lean in! The second thing would be to hold deeply to your “why” behind your journey of being an owner. This will keep you grounded during the challenging moments and give you what you need to push through that challenge! When you get to the other side of that challenge, it is so rewarding!
7) What are some unique things you do to elevate the environment and shopping experience in your boutique?
We are always rotating and refreshing our boutique. I train all of my employees on merchandising so that they learn how to style for our customers! We cater primarily to moms and daughters and we help our employees understand what they are looking for so that they can relate to them when they come in! Sometimes restyling something can make it new again!
WELCOME ALB SMITHTOWN, NEW YORK!
“NOW OPEN: ALB SMITHTOWN, NEW YORK”
BY: ELLEN ODREN
What a great week opening Apricot Lane Boutique in Smithtown, NY! I was fortunate to join Christine and her team onsite the week of the total Eclipse! However, we were busy merchandising the boutique and were focused on transforming the space that Christine and her husband poured their talents into. Simon built out the space, by laying the beautiful light plank floors, building two beautiful built-in cabinets, installing pipe fitting rooms, and creating Christine’s vision with a flower social media wall. Her space is in a busy shopping center and was well received.
Christine’s touch of light patterned rugs, a large ornate mirror outside of the fitting room, mixtile photography, and vases and flowers finished off her vision. This location is long and narrow which enabled us to place the fitting rooms in the back to create a great try-on and shopping experience. This well-thought-out placement of the built-in cabinets and spacious sales floor provided an opportunity for us to tell great product stories and highlight many of the new specific pieces. Congratulations!!
Check out the photo gallery from the opening below!
Diving into Brand Ambassadors!
“DIVING INTO BRAND AMBASSADORS WITH ALB COLLEGE STATION”
BY: MARISSA MONTABANA
Today we are talking about Brand Ambassadors and the benefit of utilizing them for your location! Sydney, our owner in College Station, TX, gives us more insight into how she runs her brand ambassador program and how it works for them. She does not have a website, so these are strictly local Ambassadors who have the goal of driving foot traffic into the boutique. Remember, Brand Ambassadors can be used without a website and are important for creating brand awareness, driving traffic into the boutique, and increasing sales.
Sydney typically has 2-3 Ambassadors working with them at one time. She has them come in 1-2 times a month depending on how much new inventory they are receiving. Each time they visit and do a try-on, they are rewarded with a complimentary top and bottom. Additionally, they receive 20% off every time they shop with us and get a code to share with their followers that is also for 20% to be used in-store when they come in and shop.
Hear from Sydney below on how she finds and partners with Brand Ambassadors in her boutique:
“First, we post a link on our Instagram stories with the Google form for potential ambassadors to fill out (https://forms.gle/y4wB57JywVyqYFJx8). We also post links in our Instagram bio for a few days so people can access it after the story has expired.
Once we have a good amount of applicants, we go through their Instagrams and select a few girls who fit our aesthetic and have between 2,000 and 3,000 followers. They also must be local.
Then, my Social Media Manager contacts them via email and forwards several documents outlining details and expectations.
Apricot Lane College Station’s expectations consist of:
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Ambassadors publishes 1 Instagram post and a minimum of 2 Instagram stories. Each post must be pre-approved by the Social Media Manager.
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Ambassadors must do try-on sessions 1-2x a month. The intent is to utilize these try-ons for weekly reels and stories.
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Ambassadors are allowed to keep 1 top and 1 bottom from each try-on session.
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Each Ambassador will receive her own code for her followers to use in the boutique.
If they are still interested, my Social Media Manager sets up meetings with them individually to make sure they are on the same page of what is expected and what kinds of posts we are looking for.”
We are excited to share how Sydney utilizes Brand Ambassadors in her area! The ALB HQ Team is excited to share that a brand new course will be available to owners later this Spring that will cover start to finish all that you need to know when engaging partnerships like these in Brand Ambassadors and Influencers for your boutique. An official launch date and announcement will be sent out to you when available!
