Featuring ~ Dusty Rose Fine Lingerie & Sportswear Boutiques

Submitted by Lisa Feller owner and partner with Roberta Zahl of Dusty Rose in New City & RyeBrook, NY

Opening a small business is different today as compared to when my mom, Roberta, opened Dusty Rose 34 years ago, but the backbone of a mom and pop store remains unchanged.  There is more to opening a store than filling it with merchandise and waiting for shoppers to come in to make purchases.   A successful retail store needs a few key practices to make it prosper for years to come.  An owner who works on the floor helping customers and being on a first-name basis with those customers are two of the most important elements of a successful boutique.

When customers walk into our stores and they see my mom and me on the floor helping people alongside our employees, they feel they are well taken care of by all members of our staff.  It’s so easy, as an owner, to sit behind a desk and catch up on busy work, but actually giving assistance to customers shows a deeper caring and an attention to detail that you don’t get in larger stores.

Owning small boutiques affords us the luxury to give one-on-one assistance to every person who walks into our stores.  As a store owner I can say, knowing my customers by name, welcoming them to my shop, and asking them about their families is one of the most important ingredients for making our stores flourish.  Another bonus when you are in business for as long as we are is you get to work with multiple generations of families.  It’s really special fitting someone for their first bra, and then selling them undergarments for their wedding, and finally helping them with a nursing bra!

I know these practices work well because, not only are we intimately connected with our customers, we know what they like and need so we are able to carry the right merchandise, and our 2^nd store has been in business for 25 years!  When customers feel comfortable at your shop they will always return.  They will share their trustworthy, first-rate experience with friends and family.  Word-of-mouth is unparalleled when it comes to advertising, better than a like on social media!

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Dusty Rose is located at:

170 S. Main Street, New City, NY 10956.

114 S. Ridge Street, Rye Brook, New York 10573