San Francisco’s Elizabeth Charles Opens in Newport Beach, Calif.
Times have not been kind to many independent, multi-line retailers, but San Francisco–headquartered Elizabeth Charles is bucking that trend and expanding. The independent, multi-line boutique is opening a store in Newport Beach, Calif., on April 19. The chain also runs a store in New York.
The Newport Beach store is located at 1649 Westcliff Drive in the wealthy Orange County city. Store founder Elizabeth Charles said she chose the space because the former tenant, the A’maree’s fashion boutique, closed recently, making good commercial real estate available. She was also swayed by the area’s wealth. Newport Beach’s median household income is $107,007, according to the U.S. Census. (The median family income in California is $60,883.)
“The luxury segment is still spending money,” Charles said. “We’re providing something different for the high-net-worth consumers.”
Elizabeth Charles started business in 2002 with a focus on fashion designers from her native Australia. Since then, she broadened her boutique chain’s focus to a mix of well-known designers not saturated in department stores, as well as emerging designers.
“There needs to be a mix,” Charles said, but retailers need to be careful with how they assemble the merchandise mix. “When the economy started going south, people wanted to go back to what people knew and were comfortable with.” When they’re comfortable with a shop’s taste, they’re more open to buying material from new designers.
Currently, Elizabeth Charles offers a merchandise mix of labels including Chloe, Carven, Vanessa Bruno, Hermione De Paula, Kevork Kiledjian and the Karl by Karl Lagerfeld line. Charles said she hopes to open new stores in the next few years.—A.A.
