Tips for Setting Up A Boutique

You’ve decided to follow your passion, and you’re setting up a boutique for the very first time. You have your merchandise chosen, your branding is solid, and you have some champagne ready for your opening party!  Now, what do you need to make sure your boutique looks as good as it should?  Manhattan Wardrobe Supply can help you with setting up a boutique.

Setting Up A Boutique: Hangers

Are you selling clothing? Hangers are your most important tool to show off your clothing, organize it, and put your best foot forward.  Don’t skimp on these — you can always have backup, lower-priced hangers to provide to customers if they need one.  For a polished look, make sure all of your hangers match, whether they are chrome, wooden, velvet, or plastic.  You’ll need a place to store them, too:  we like the Chrome Hanger Stacker, which will keep your stock room and dressing rooms neat, and your hangers organized.  No one wants to untangle hangers.

Setting Up a Boutique: Equipment

Sure, you’ll need a POS system, but don’t forget the items that help you keep your products looking their best: a lint brush, steamer, ironing board, iron, as well as Febreze for your dressing rooms.  Having these items on hand will make sure your clothing isn’t wrinkled, and that your dressing room is as fresh as possible.

Setting Up a Boutique: Window Dressings

How are you planning on showing off your wares in your windows?  Don’t forget to pick up a couple of mannequins or dress forms to show off your clothes and think about what the background will be as well.  Some of your boutique imagery? Fabric? Lighting?  Think about items that you can reuse from season to season.

Setting Up a Boutique: Supplies

Don’t forget to pick up supplies: pins (straight and safety), tailor’s chalk and measuring tape for marking alterations, pens and other office supplies. You never know when you’ll need them, and you don’t want to be caught empty-handed if your customer needs alterations, or you need to take notes for a special order.

Setting Up a Boutique: The Special Touches

We shop at boutiques because we get an experience that is different, more personalized, than the experience we have at a big store.  What is going to make your boutique stand out, besides your excellent products?  Do you serve champagne at customer appointments?   Chocolates at the cash wrap?  Do you allow well-behaved pooches, or have a special area for kids so their moms can shop unfettered?  Do your employees write thank-you notes?  Don’t forget, as you create and stock your space, to remember the things that differentiate you from your competitors.

Need some assistance with setting up a boutique? Come into Manhattan Wardrobe Supply for all of your wardrobe care supplies.  We’re happy to help out!