On a recent vacation to Detroit Michigan, I had the opportunity to visit the city’s revitalized areas; specifically downtown and midtown. The problems in the city of Detroit are well –documented; its population decline, high crime and unemployment rates, corrupt elected officials and a recent bankruptcy have been top stories in the national media. It is a wonder that a city with such a notorious reputation could support a high end local store without a relentless marketing plan that eased the mind of the consumer and encouraged demand for its products.
In the heart of West Willis Village a cultural community in Detroit’s midtown area, there is a one of a kind urban clothing store called Flo Boutique. Flo Boutique is one of several local stores that cater to hipsters and suburbanite transplants who have recently returned to the city their families left decades before. Willis Street is home to several local stores which includes an organic bakery, a health store/restaurant and a cultural arts store. To an outsider, the urban hipster vibe of the block did not seem to belong to a city whose name is synonymous with urban decline; instead the block looks like it should belong in Chicago or New York.
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"My Visit to Flo Boutique".
It is fair assumption that any local store that is next door to a bakery may be frequently overlooked by customers who will quickly rush past it to buy sea-salt chocolate cookies, focaccia, organic cinnamon rolls and specialty coffee. However, the boutique benefits from a local street drummer who plays outside of the store daily to entertain the street’s customers and make a few dollars in the process. His playing is so rhythmic and lively and his clothes are so colorful, that it is hard to deny the drummers existence or that he is playing outside of a clothing store with mannequins in its windows wearing articles of clothing that you cannot find at any Macy’s or Nordstrom’s.
The drummer drew my attention to the store, but the one of kind clothing made me enter their doors. The store smelled of Nag Champa incense and the soulful music playing throughout the store made me feel as if I had just stepped onto an urban runway. The store was no larger than a standard sized studio apartment about 500 to 650 square feet, but it was filled with one of a kind men’s and women’s clothes and accessories; the store had the kind of inventory where each item spoke for itself.
Upon entering the store, I was cheerfully greeted by the store’s proprietor and her staff. They immediately went about the task of making me feel completely welcome and offering their assistance if I needed it. My first impression of the store was that the owner’s intent was to showcase the uniqueness of its clothing and accessories. She made it a point to share the origin of the clothing, some she designed and some were designed by local and international designers; there were a limited number of the same pieces of clothing and accessories, but most items could be special ordered.
The proprietor did an excellent job of creating a high-end urban ambiance in the store; she explained to me that many of the items that she carried were utility pieces that could be manipulated and worn several different ways; she viewed the merchandise in her store as art that could be worn and she used mannequins and props in a way that illustrated their beauty and creativity and accomplished this goal. It was evident that store was designed to appeal to 20 something hipsters and art lovers.
The boutique had a standard 30 day return policy for unworn, tagged items and offered sample and trial sizes for the small inventory of health and beauty items such as perfumed oils, natural soaps and homemade incense. Outside of the health and beauty items in the store, most of the price of the merchandise ranged between the $100- $500. Every item purchased was placed in brown recycled gift bags and tied with colorful sting and ribbon; the time that it took staff to package each item added a unique personal touch.
The prices were displayed prominently in calligraphy on each item and while the store did not offer deals on most of the inventory, it did give customers the opportunity to secure a good deal through an online membership club and frequent in store events.
Flo Boutique benefits from the promotion that all of the stores on Willis receive. The Willis store owners continue to work together to promote all of the stores on the block and they often coordinate events to engage current customers and attract new ones. Flo Boutique and the stores on Willis are often featured in Detroit’s local newspapers and visited by members of the media; their collective marketing plan has been adapted by several new businesses in the midtown area. The boutique specifically offers its customer’s an opportunity to visit their website to take advantage of special promotions and discounts.
I spent more than $200 in the store. Even if they were not moderately priced, the store carried several one of kind items that appealed to my sense of fashion. The ambiance of the store its look, smell and sound fit perfectly with the items they advertised. The owner and her staff were kind knowledgeable and welcoming. I worked up an appetite while I shopped so it was equally helpful that there were places to eat right next door to the store. My only criticism of Flo Boutique was their limited social media presence and their extremely basic website; it was easily searchable on Google, but the only item available for sale was a membership card that offered customers 10% discounts. The website did not include any pictures of the items in the store and it did not offer a vehicle for online purchasing. That aside, I enjoyed my experience on Willis Street and my visit to Flo Boutique.
