Profitable Fashion Boutique in Cheshire

Established for 18 years, the business has built an excellent reputation for first class service and quality clothing.

Most customers of the boutique live within a 70 mile radius, thus the boutique has long been a destination boutique. Customers also come from further afield, particularly from London and the South East. Typical customers are aged between 25 and 55 and include many in the medical, legal, banking, and accountancy professions as well as others who are senior in the corporate world or who run their own businesses.

Every season sees new customers being dressed in this boutique, adding to those who have been loyal since the boutique first opened. It is the relationship with these customers which is one of the critical factors of the success of this boutique.

As a matter of deliberate policy, the boutique has never sold clothing online. The competitive advantage of the boutique is based on personal service: a knowledge of the customers, their lives, their work, their clothing needs, their tastes, etc.
Social media, particularly Instagram, is used to generate interest in the boutique and current stock. The boutique has over 3,250 followers. The boutique only follows about 125 accounts. As the current proprietors do not pander to the Instagram habit of businesses mutually following each other to inflate the number of their followers, the vast majority of these 3,250 followers are genuine potential customers.

This boutique provides a unique opportunity for a small team of new owners. This could be a husband and wife, a mother and daughter(s), friends who share an interest in fashion and business aims. Ideally, the team members should bring complementary skills, for example, selling and merchandising in one partner and admin and accounting in the other. A third could perhaps focus on marketing, advertising, social media and IT.

This is a hands on business. Experience in fashion and/or retail would be helpful, but is not essential. Please note that the current owners had no fashion or retail experience when they launched this business. This probably means that the ability to think outside the conventions of the industry is also valuable. Determination, commitment, independence, and the willingness to work hard are a prerequisite. In return, here is a business which can turn a handsome profit.