Retail 101: BluePeppermint Boutique

Photography by Jeanie Stehr

[dropcap letter=”J”]essica Landez opened BluePeppermint Boutique in 2015 as an opportunity to explore her love of fashion and need for connection. Along with the help of her Boutique Manager, Allie, her store is filled with curated picks specifically for the women of Fishers, Indiana!

Name: Jessica Landez
Store Name: BluePeppermint Boutique
Store Address: 9705 Fishers District Dr. Suite 730 Fishers, IN 46037

How did owning your own store come about?
I always say that I am a little bit of a procrastinator, because I dreamed about doing this for 20 years before I actually did it. When it came about, I really didn’t know what I was doing and I didn’t have any experience in retail at all, but I started really small and just took it baby step by baby step. To start, I rented 200 square feet of a home goods and décor store where the owner let me put in some clothes. Even at that point, I didn’t even really know how to go about buying the clothing, but I just kept going and figuring it out along the way.

You just moved to a new location, how was that process?
The process was terrifying, but I obviously I learned a lot, because the location we moved from is so different than where we are now. I had a lot to learn. Overall, though, it was worth it! We are so happy with this decision, because The Yard at Fishers District is so fun and very community oriented. We love everything about it!

How would you describe your typical customer?
That’s hard, because I would say we don’t have a, “typical customer.” We get everyone from preteen girls just starting to find out what they like to wear up to women well into their 70s and 80s. We do have a lot of moms and daughters who shop together and that age range between teen and mid 40s is our sweet spot. Personally, that is my favorite! I love to see a mom and daughter come in together, because I like knowing that we can appeal to them and create an experience they will remember.

What types of things do you sell?
The bulk of what we sell is clothing, but we also carry a lot of accessories, like jewelry, shoes and giftables, like candles. One of our best sellers are the aviate hats which have IND on the front. We sell them like crazy!

Describe your favorite part of running BluePeppermint?
There are so many! I love buying for the store a lot, because I get to shop as my job, and there is nothing terrible about that. It gives me my fix. When I do spend more time in the store, I like getting to know our customers and create connections with them. I love our staff, and we have a really small, close team. Overall, I have loved just going through the steps it takes to build and grow a business, finding out what works and what doesn’t. It is really rewarding to see the work pay off.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to open a retail store?
Don’t overthink it. Just take that first small step. For me, in the beginning, I took what I would call safe risks. I knew that if I failed, I wasn’t putting my family in jeopardy and that I wouldn’t lose my house. For this location, I knew it wasn’t a safe risk, that I was putting more on the line, but I also felt more confident to do it. So, I guess that would be my advice – take baby steps and safe risks so you can build your confidence.

Keep up with BluePeppermint Boutique on Instagram or visit their website!

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