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Date: 11/10/2021
LONGMEADOW - Two businesses in Longmeadow are celebrating five years of cohabitating in the same shop, while looking toward the future.
Shoenique is a shoe store described by owner Jennifer Bates as focusing on “fashion-comfort.” InChic is an upscale fashion boutique. The two women-owned businesses joined forces in 2016 and set up in the same location at the Longmeadow Shops as InChicShoenique.
Lisa Meyerrose started InChic in 2012. “I’ve always been in retail since I was 15 years old,” Meyerrose said. Opening a shop was a natural step for her. Meanwhile, Shoenique opened in 1998 under the ownership of Bates’s brother, Kevin Lennon, and with her as the store manager. When Lennon retired, she took over as owner.
When the shops were located in different storefronts at the Longmeadow Shops, the two would often work together and direct traffic to one another. “Basically, we had the same customers,” explained Bates. “We wanted to address it and outfit them head to toe.”
So, the two owners decided to share the costs of doing business and provide an all-in-one location for their fashion needs.
“We are two separate businesses on the back end,” Bates explained, but the two split their overhead. Bates and Meyerrose make independent decisions on what to carry in each of their specialties, but also buy as partners.
“We’re on the same page and it’s important to be able to be honest with a business partner,” Meyerrose said, adding, “It enables us to be consistent with our advertising.”
Sharing overhead was especially helpful throughout the pandemic. Meyerrose and Bates found creative ways to keep their joint businesses afloat, including deliveries and appointment windows.
“We’re in different times,” said Meyerrose. “We need to be flexible.”
One avenue that many businesses turned to when stores shut down in early 2020 – online commerce wasn’t available to InChicShoenique. While there has been a website - https://www.inchicshoenique.com - it was not set up for sales.
“For years we were a true sit-and-fit store, an old school store,” Meyerrose said. The women perform measurements and fittings, as well as help their customers put together looks. Their staff are knowledgeable and know the features and benefits of the products they sell, Bates said. She explained that the two couldn’t wrap their heads around how to transition their services online. But since the pandemic, Bates said, “buying habits have changed. I’m going to try [online sales].”
Bates will begin online sales at shoenique.shop in mid-November. If it goes well, Meyerrose plans to follow suit. That said, the location at the Longmeadow Shops is still InChicShoenique’s main focus.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Bates assured.
Part of what makes the shop unique is the relationship the entrepreneurs have built with their customers. “They’re very social,” Meyerrose said. Bates added that their loyal customers have become friends. Meyerrose commented, “We have fun.”
Melissa Pevay, marketing manager at the Longmeadow Shops, said, “That’s what makes this store special. People come in here, they’re talking about their day.”
The relationships the two have built go beyond customers to the marketplace, itself. “The shopping center is pro small business,” said Bates, “and it’s not just the stores, but the people who run the businesses.”
Bates and Meyerrose nurture that sense of belonging and fellowship by donating to charities and running the occasional fundraiser.
“The community really supports their community and we want to support them,” Bates said.