‘Hopeful and confident.’ Richmond retailer feels bullish about holiday shopping season

Haley Stark Roberts is gearing up for her second holiday season as a boutique owner in Richmond, Kentucky.

Her store, Stark Southern Boutique, opened downtown last year, and with more time under the store’s belt, she is hoping this year will be more successful than the last.

So far, Roberts has tripled the inventory, if not more, from the start, and she thanks the Richmond community and city who support the local economy through events.

“It’s very exciting for me to have gotten in on this revitalization by securing my spot right at the front of Main Street,” Roberts said. “I’m extremely excited for the big things to come, and I hope to have my little shop on the corner well into old age. It’s been my dream come true!”

Name of business: Stark Southern Boutique

Owner: Haley Stark Roberts

Location and hours: 311 W Main St. in Richmond, KY. The shop opened in June 2023. The hours of operation are Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Merchandise focus and mission: Stark carries women’s clothing and accessories specializing in items that are unique. The store’s focus when opening the store was to have a place where women could come get a cocktail dress for dinner, a day ensemble for Keeneland, a beautiful dress for church, or a comfy outfit for running errands. Roberts said her mission is to carry beautiful items that women could buy and feel confident and comfortable about how much they were spending.

What is unique about the business: Roberts said just because something may look extravagant, doesn’t mean it carries a large price tag. A self-proclaimed shopaholic and fashion lover, Roberts recalls feeling discouraged when she’d find something in a boutique only to find out it was far out of my budget.

Robert’s forecast for the holiday season is growth: She expects and has experienced more sales and interest than this time last year, when her business was only six months old. This thinking presents a double-edged sword: She was nervous that sales may be down this year because “the new has worn off”…or sales will be more this year because her following has grown.

“As a business owner you’re always looking at both sides; making yourself hopeful, making yourself nervous, but this year I have all the reasons to be hopeful and confident,” she said.

She is close with her clientele, and knows her market and resources better, as well has how to shop smarter. I know my resources better and how to shop smarter.

Holiday season expectations: An open house event on Nov. 16 kicked off the holiday season! Roberts said the mood of shoppers is optimistic, despite the persisting conversation about inflation. Whether someone has been to the grocery store and is in shock of their grocery bill, or someone’s making a big purchase in their life discussing interest rates, it always comes up, Roberts said.

With the conclusion of the election, she predicts people will feel more confident. It seems that the candidates understood Americans concerns and were finally acknowledging the economic issues and providing ways to fix it. Turning on the news and hearing our government address rising fuel costs, grocery costs, and interest rates gave everyone a sense of relief that whoever wins….they know Americans are depending on them to help lower the cost of living, Stark said.

“I feel it was a major factor on everyone’s mind.”

In addition to amped-up optimism by the customers, Roberts has increased her marketing efforts, beginning with vendor shop offering in August. She hasn’t had a day off in a month, decorating from the store to the street, steaming and pricing clothing from morning to night.

Since opening, Roberts said she has consistently grown audience on all my social media platforms and poured her heart into engagement.

She said she’ll know this season’s shopping endeavor was a success if the stockroom is brimming with boxes of spring dresses come January. With a small operation and a limited line of credit, each season depends solely on the revenue of the last as to what Roberts can afford to offer.

This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 11:34 AM.

Taylor Six

Lexington Herald-Leader

Taylor Six is the criminal justice reporter at the Herald-Leader. She was born and raised in Lexington attending Lafayette High School. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2018 with a degree in journalism. She previously worked as the government reporter for the Richmond Register.