Attire Accessories - Jul/Aug 2019 (Issue 77)

106 Tell us a bit about Gillie G’s and how you came to open the business. I have always been interested in fashion and had various jobs within the sales field. I have also trained in colour and style analysis. Having my own boutique was always a dream for me, but the right business opportunity had not arisen. A friend of mine was working part time at a ladies’ boutique, and when they decided to close their business, she contacted me, knowing it would be of interest. The previous owners own the property, and my partner and I approached them to discuss opening a new shop. They were more than happy for a ladies’ boutique to continue there and to support the existing customers by keeping an independent shop in Petersfield. Gillie G’s materialised from our names: Gillie and Gerry. What challenges were overcome when the company was starting out? The timescale of the previous business’ closure and our decision to open was four weeks. During that time, we had to completely refurbish the two sales floors, installing new LED lighting, decorating and fitting new carpets. Most importantly, we had to purchase spring/ summer stock ready for the opening on the 3rd March, 2018. That meant also traveling to the wholesalers in Paris, where we purchased a large range of clothing and accessories. Fortunately, the previous business owner also introduced us to her existing agents, and those brands enabled us to open accounts with them at short notice and supplied us with enough stock to make the opening day worthwhile. We also spent many days attending the trade shows and taking on new brands for the store. Gillie G’s was opened by the Mayor of Petersfield with a great response from the public and local media. What is your customer base? We have a broad customer base, and once they know of us they recommend us to their friends and family, who will travel to us. Therefore, our clients are not just from the local area. The age range is currently 40+, but we are introducing younger styles to attract the 30/35+ market as well. What’s your USP? We offer a very relaxed and non-pressured environment, and we are honest in our advice on style and colour. Our customers can come in and find something a little bit different – they don’t like to wear the same as everyone else on the high street, and with limited quantities in stock, once it’s gone, that’s it. We are equally happy for customers just to browse, while our regulars sometimes just pop in to say “hi” and often find that a little pick-up item. What are your current bestselling lines? We are primarily a ladies clothing boutique that also offers shoes, handbags, jewellery and scarves. We have a small gift section, including SquireMe glass water bottles, Kapten watches, man bags, wallets and socks. In clothing, our bestselling ranges are Part Two and Robell, and Frank Lyman, closely followed by Emreco. On the accessories side, we do well with our jewellery collections of The Real Pearl Company, Strata and Etnika. Last year, our main shoe brand was Thierry Rabotin, which are beautiful Italian handmade shoes. These don’t fit into everyone’s budget, and therefore we have also introduced a much broader range of fabulous brands to suit everyone. Are you active on social media, and how do you use it for your business? We use Instagram and our own Facebook page. We are also members of the Petersfield Pulse Shop Local group on Facebook, using these platforms to promote our brands, new stock arrivals, events and special offers. We are also featured on the online Petersfield directory. What brands do you stock and why? Over the last year, we have expanded the clothing and accessories brands to also cater for a slightly younger customer base. Our accessories brands include silk scarves from Paris, Kapre scarves, Kris Ana, Punch Neoprene, Red Cuckoo and Sophia Delli handbags. In terms of shoes we stock,