We know that when the challenges in our lives become too much to endure (the holidays have taken quite a toll) there is nothing like a little retail therapy to put the spring back in our step and the glow back into our perfect skin. But driving to the mall involves putting on clothes, getting done up, and walking-just a whole lot of work that frankly, we just don’t want to go through. And the crowds! Shopping is supposed to be relaxing. That’s why lately we’ve been getting our retail fix through the ‘Net.

It used to be just the big name department stores who offered this service, but lately smaller stores have come to the realization that physically going to the mall can be a real time consuming chore, and have set up places online where you can peruse their best stuff right from the comfort of your favorite sitting spot.

Lisa Looney, owner of the fabulous Chandler boutique, KatyBug Faye, just recently opened up an online shop, and so far it’s working out great. We at DLT got to sit down with her and talk about the latest expansion of her boutique. Find out how taking to the internet is working for her local retail shop:

Desert Living Today: What inspired you to start the online store at KatyBug Faye?

Lisa Looney: With our physical store we are realistically only reaching women within a 5-10 mile radius of our store, and that is so limiting. We love the idea of being able to reach out to women all over the country with an online store.  Also, it seems that more and more people are shopping primarily online these days. We believe there is an entire sector of shoppers that prefer not to leave home and we do not want to miss those customers. From a business perspective, an online store makes sense as an expansion in lieu of another physical location because it involves less risk and investment to get started.

DLT: How has the online store affected your business?

LL: Most of our local customers still come into the store to shop. However, we carry things online that aren’t in the store, so some shop both so that they can take advantage of those finds. We have needed to increase the quantity of back-stock in our warehouse for the online store, but overall we have been able to share inventory effectively between the physical and online stores.

DLT:What are the advantages of an online store for you?

LL: The major advantage of an online store for us is being able to reach such a much larger customer base.  It is also a more financially efficient way to sell clothes because we don’t need the fancy store, just a warehouse, so the overhead is lower.

DLT: What are the advantages of an online store for the consumer?

LL: Convenience and the ability to shop 24/7 is the great online advantage to consumers.

DLT: What are the disadvantages of an online store?

The only disadvantage for us we saw to an online store when you have a physical location already is the fact that trying to share inventory between the two can be next to impossible. If you sell items quickly in your physical store, the quantities won’t be up-to-date online and you will end up with unhappy customers when they buy something online and you don’t have it any more.  We found new technologies that actually allowed us to integrate our current inventory system with the online store, and that solves the problem.  The technology to do that is fairly new and just now being introduced mainstream, and I think that will really change the smaller retailer’s ability to sell online in the near future.  The major disadvantage to the consumer of shopping an online store is the fact that you can’t try things on or touch and feel them.

DLT: Do you see shopping moving more towards the Internet or do you think physical stores will stick around?

LL: I definitely feel that more and more people are shopping online all the time and it is going to continue to grow as a shopping option. However, some people will always want to try on clothes before they buy, and certain things, furniture and mattresses for example, you almost have to sit on and touch and feel before you buy. For that reason, I feel certain that physical stores will always be around.

DLT:  How did you make your business a success?

LL:  I believe the success of our business is attributable largely to our business model. Most boutiques utilize a high mark-up and have low merchandise turn-over. We prefer a completely different strategy. We strive for a relatively low mark-up and high turn-over. In this way, we are able to provide our customers with a quality product at a reasonable price and they are able to see new items every time they enter or store (whether physical location or online). We actually saw a void in the apparel market when it comes to quality, fashion-forward pieces that are affordably priced, so we launched our own line of clothing last spring to meet that need for our customers. By staying in tune to the needs of our customers we are able to insure our continued success as a business.

DLT: What is your favorite item that you carry in your online store?

LL: This is a tough question because I love everything we carry!  Overall, denim has to be my favorite category because the jeans we carry have such fabulous fit and styling.  Nothing can make you feel better about your appearance like a great pair of jeans!

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