Erica D Opens Harper's Boutique in Corona Del Mar
When Erica Dee Thomas shuttered her Erica D contemporary boutique in the wealthy Orange County, Calif., neighborhood of Corona Del Mar in 2008, she vowed not to return to retail unless she was equipped with a business plan where she would make profits in a sluggish economy, not just tread water.
She recently celebrated the first-year anniversary of Harper’s, her new boutique, which is located at 2610 E. Coast Highway in Corona Del Mar, a couple of blocks away from the site of the Erica D shop. She said Harper’s is succeeding because it mixes the best of the glitz of pre-recession fashion with the prices made for a tough economy.
“Harper’s is all about price point,” she said. “We still mix in premium denim, but we do a ton of lower price, all under $100.” The merchandising mix is 70 percent lowerpriced brands and 30 percent contemporary brands. Core price points range from $14 for costume jewelry to $250 for premium denim.
But Harper’s gains the attention of consumers who still relish boutique sizzle because Thomas styled her store to look like a contemporary boutique, what with its zebrawood wall paneling, pop-up shops from leading brands such as Vitamin A and knowledgeable sales staff.
The mix of a contemporary-boutique exterior and popularly priced merchandise is a formula that has been picking up steam since the recession, according to Michelle Dalton Tyree, owner of Blab Communications, a brand strategy and trend-forecasting firm; founder of blog site FashionTrends Daily; and owner of Iconology, a high-fashion boutique that closed in 2008.
“To some extent, everyone must compete with H&M and Forever 21,” Dalton Tyree said. “But if boutiques are competing, they must dress up [lower-price-point merchandise] in a boutique setting and offer boutique service.”
Mixing some high-marquee brands with lower-priced merchandise got former Erica D customers back into the shopping habit at her new venture, Thomas said. “They still want to look great,” she said of shoppers. “They still want to buy. But they don’t want to be breaking the bank.”—Andrew Asch
