Merchandising Charisma ~ Petticoat Lane

Last Spring I was having coffee with a colleague in Greenwich, CT and decided to stop by Petticoat Lane, one of five lifestyle boutiques owned by Jason and Yami Palmer.  I walked in to analyze the Lingerie content and walked out with a new handbag.  It’s hard to resist Jason’s selling charisma which is substantial since it’s not my inclination to shop when I do these store visits.  The eclectic mix of categories, bags, hats, crossover RTW, swim and legwear are instant impulse additions to a shop anchored by Intimate Apparel .

What fascinated me the most was the focused brand content: resource choices were limited but with deep offerings for a store this size.  That’s when he informed me that Petticoat Lane sustained the largest specialty store business with Wolford in the country. So I was not surprised when Yami contacted me in October and invited me to their Wolford “shop within a shop” launch, a new approach to specialty retailing which I like to call Brand Hosting.

Returning to Petticoat Lane this week to see the Wolford set up, I thought it prescient since my search for new merchandising concepts is paramount in my mind. (See this week’s Retailer Gallery on the The Dover Street Market in NYC)   Now they are planning to expand the idea with Cosabella, one of their key resources.  What’s pertinent about Yami’s buying method is her community friendly approach to inventory content.  Anchored by evergreen basics from all her vendors, Yami buys for each location according to consumer demand.  The combination of her innate analytic skills, keen eye and Jason’s charm (first man I have met that women trust in the fitting room), have helped them create an out of the box business model that works.

“Every Time We’ve Moved Ahead … It Was Because Someone Was Willing To Take A Chance  … And Try Something New” ~ Thomas Watson