Boutique Merchandise At Warehouse Prices
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(Tuesday) February 16, 2010
Staff report
alexandrianews.org
Katherine Gronberg and Kerry Kinirons check out Big Buddha bags at the warehouse sale. (Photo: Regan Kireilis)
For many Alexandria retailers, Saturday’s sixth annual Boutique District Warehouse Sale was an introduction to thousands of customers. The six-hour clearance sale was held at the George Washington Masonic Memorial. It was postponed a week because of the first Blizzard of 2010, but with prices slashed 90%, customers from far and wide ventured out to buy from local stores like Hysteria, Treat, The Shoe Hive, Periwinkle, Mystique Jewelers, Gossypia and others.
Jewelry from Queen Bee Designs was a hot commodity at Saturday's sale. (Photo: Regan Kireilis)
In the morning, lines stretched around the entrance to the Masonic Temple and business was steady throughout the day. “This is our fourth year. Business was pretty true to how we did the last two years. The first two were busier, but we had less inventory this time because we didn’t have as much overstock,” said Dina Igoe, owner of Appleseed, a maternity and baby boutique on South Columbus Street.
“For us retailers it isn’t so much about making a profit,” said Igoe. “You are marking down to wholesale and post-wholesale prices, so that merchandise has lost profit by not having been sold anyway. What the sale is great for is cash flow and as a public relations tool.”
