At Specialty Store Services, our customers are the foundation of our business. Without them, we would not be where we are today. And while we aim to educate, often times we’ve found that it’s us who ends up learning valuable lessons from our customers. We’re excited to announce a new monthly feature – Customer Spotlight. Each month, we will select a customer to profile for trade tips and advice. We’re excited to share this with our large network of customers so we can all learn from each other.
As small business owners themselves, Specialty Store Services’ Eric Weinstein and Evan Finke have always been fascinated by what drives the retail environment. Listening to stories of other entrepreneur’s successes and struggles offer a valuable learning experience for others with the same dreams. Even entrepreneurs with proven track records always have room to learn.
For the first Customer Spotlight, we spoke with Shannelle Armstrong-Fowler, owner of Haute & Co. Bridal Boutique in Chicago, IL. Shannelle found her footing by filling a market niche; she opened her store after noticing the absence of boutique options for curvy and plus size brides. She found that the only options in the market for curvy women were big box retailers or unknown online sellers. “I wanted to provide a collection of curvy and plus size wedding dresses created by established luxury designers that would provide fashion-forward, classic and unique options for our brides.”
In our conversation, Shanelle speaks on the importance of managing your reputation, the power of social media/ online reviews, and how to not lose sight of your original vision.