Jenni Meyers, owner of Beauty + Grace, started her boutique with the hopes of bringing brands to Carmel that aren’t available in the area. From tracing pieces down from pictures in magazines to attending New York Fashion Week, she will go to many lengths to make sure her customers are satisfied and feel great in what they are wearing.
Name: Jenni Meyers
Store name: Beauty + Grace
Store address: 751 Hanover Place, Carmel, IN 46032
Store website: www.shopbeautyandgrace.com
Store insta: @shopbeautyandgrace
When did you open the store: September 2015
What do you sell in your store: women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry & accessories
Previous jobs/ventures: Planned meetings around the world for 10 years prior to having babies.
Why did you decide to open your own storefront? I wanted to bring fashions to Carmel that women could not get anywhere else. Fashions that also make women feel beautiful.
Do you have an online store as well? Yes, www.shopbeautyandgrace.com.
Which came first the online store or the bricks and mortar store? Brick and mortar
List five skills/qualifications that you think are important to have before launching a storefront? Positive, upbeat, go-getter, organized and determined.
What’s the most effective marketing tool that you’ve been using recently? Make an Offer (see our website)
What’s more important when opening a storefront: Location, having a nice cash cushion or having a lot of retail experience? Why? Location. To have landlords that really believe in you and have your best interest at heart.
How do you decide which vendors/products/brands you want to carry in your store? We go to NY Fashion Week to scout out designers.
Do you work with vendors on a consignment basis? Only with our local jewelry designers.
Do you carry any local vendors/brands? Why/Why not? Yes, jewelry designers. We have a lot of creative and beautiful designers right here in Carmel. So happy to be able partner with them.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in running your business? Balancing work life with my personal life. I have three elementary age children and a husband that owns an orthopedic surgery practice and hospital. All three of my children are in multi sports and other creative activities and time is my biggest obstacle.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of opening their own storefront? Make sure to have a really good business plan. I have needed to refer back to my true vision of what I dreamed for the store. It made it easier to look back at the plan and old journals and say “YES I’m on track or NO that was not what I originally dreamed of”.
What advice would you give to an up-and-coming brand looking to build a strong relationship with a retailer? Make sure to be persistent. Retailers are inundated with brands wanting to be in their store. Come and visit the store you want to build a relationship with. You will get a lot farther when you have face-to-face meetings. Allowing potential buyers to feel, touch and see your brand in person will have a greater impact than any email you can send.
Are there any online resources that you regularly visit to help you run your business better, or keep up with the latest industry trends? I follow so many fashion bloggers. There are some really good ones out there. I want to see what they and their followers like/dislike. Many times I see something on them that I love and I immediately pick up the phone to track it down.
