Three Tiers for Retail!

National Chain
Even when you shop the local outpost of a national chain, you contribute to the local economy. Economic studies indicate that for every dollar you spend at a national chain, 43 cents stays local—think of the sales associates’ salaries and the money the business pays in local taxes.

Locally Owned Boutique
Get more bang for the local buck at locally owned retailers: For every dollar spent at such stores, 68 cents remains in the local economy. Add to that the distinct character these businesses lend to their surroundings—imagine 50th and France without its fashion boutiques or Linden Hills without its family-friendly stores. Without these one-of-a-kind destinations, every street in America would look alike.

Local Artisan, Local Boutique
Maximize your contribution to the local economy by shopping locally made products from locally owned stores. There’s not yet a comprehensive study on the economic impact of this hyper-local approach, but your purchase surely helps to sustain local jobs. From artisans to proprietors, all manner of entrepreneurs and laid-off workers manufacture products these days. And plenty of area shops specialize in selling their wares: Corazon, Design Collective, and Cliché sell locally made jewelry and fashions; Local D’Lish and Golden Fig stock local groceries and foodstuff. There’s even a store devoted to regional vino: Wine Time in Roseville.

We asked a few local retailers for their take: What are they doing to entice shoppers these days? What are their bestsellers? And what changes have they made in light of a challenging economy?

The Freshman
Aisha Ghanchi opened Belle Reve, an upscale women’s clothing boutique, in October 2008. 320 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-333-3148, bellereveboutique.com

+ “My feminine looks are doing really, really, really well—from my flowy chiffons to my ruffles to the pinks and purples and mint greens.”

+ “The other thing that’s doing well is the modernized retro look. It’s not a vintage piece, but it has huge vintage inspirations. That’s great because that’s what my store is—even the look of my store is taking a retro-vintage feel and modernizing it and updating it and kind of rocking it out.”

+ “I’m always going to be a dress store and I’m still going to keep my concept of being unique—carrying unique lines, dressing up for everyday instead of casual dress-down all the time. I was already doing high and low, but I’m kind of changing my percentages; I’m doing more affordable fashions for more people.”

The Landlord
For the past seven years, Jill Noack has been vice president and general manager for Edina’s high-end Galleria shopping mall. 952-925-4321, galleriaedina.com

+ “Feel-good kinds of products are doing well: cosmetics, fragrances, service things like pedicures and manicures and then maybe taking home one of the products to keep up with your nails. . . . Candy and confections do very well. I know that our chocolate shop and our coffee shop are not missing a beat.”

+ “People seem to be asking my merchants more about where the product’s made, where it’s coming from, a little more sensitivity to understanding that it’s local, U.S.-made, or knowing that the designer and the creator are having it made abroad but they’ve got control over the quality and the integrity of the product.”

The Successor
Three and a half years ago, Lori Anderson bought EuroNest, a store specializing in European-inspired and -imported furniture, antiques, and accessories (formerly EuroPine). 5700 W. 36th St., St. Louis Park, 952-929-2927, euro-nest.com

+ “Our special-order business is great because we’re able to develop a plan that has a mix of antiques and one-of-a-kind pieces as well as custom pieces. When we can establish that relationship with somebody and really run with it, we end up doing whole rooms, whole houses.”

+ “We have a huge accessories business, which I don’t think a lot of people know about. We have European-influenced reproduction furniture, and then of course we still get containers from Europe.”

+ “People are still buying accessories. They’re finding they can do that and not buy a sofa. . . . 
Rugs are big for us. Pillows, rugs, some of the knickknack bookcase things are good for us, too.”

+ “We relocated our store in September, which also helped us. It gave us easier access, a larger showroom floor. We now have parking! That’s a huge thing.”

The Trailblazer
Roxy Freese opened the first Bibelot on Como Avenue in 1966. 2276 Como Ave., St. Paul, 651-646-5651; 1082 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-222-0321; 4315 Upton Ave. S., Mpls., 612-925-3175; 300 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-379-9300, bibelotshops.com

+ “Have you run into the line called Curly Girl? It’s an artist who does wonderful things. She’s very strong, and no matter what she does, it sells—whether it’s an art print, water bottle, mug, card, magnet. She just has the right message: uplifting and happy. Optimistic!”

+ “Eco products, of course, are strong. People are looking for locally made products as well.”

+ “We’re definitely considering price point, as everyone is; we’re making sure there’s a new flow of product coming in all the time. We’re probably not ordering quite as much in depth but more in breadth.”

+ “I think many of our online customers are those who know the shop already—they know the product already, it’s very timesaving, and they can even have us ship and wrap. It’s all done at once.”