There are thousands of boutiques across the nation, and many are barely hanging on. So says Jennifer McRay of Kismet, a woman’s clothing and accessories store in downtown Los Gatos. She is one of the 8,000 boutique owners nationwide, largely owned by women, who belong to the Boutique Hub, billed as the world’s largest boutique industry community.
In 2020, the Boutique Hub organized an event called “Pink Friday” to highlight the benefits of shopping local and small. For example, you really can’t do a bra fitting online, which is why Romantiques, in business in Los Gatos since 1994, has become such an indispensable foundation for undergarments.
McRay points out that between the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing consumer shift to e-shopping, small boutiques are really struggling.
“Many are quiet-closing,” she says, meaning they are silently closing up shop, unable to compete against large e-commerce platforms like Etsy and eBay or the megaliths like Amazon. “I know shoppers are comparing prices on their phones when they come into my store, and I welcome it. We intentionally keep our prices low, and we offer a hard-to-beat selection and value. And we gift wrap.”
While Black Friday sales the day after Thanksgiving were originally intended to help brick-and-mortar retailers move or stay in the black, the effort shifted to benefit mostly large online retailers. Small Business Saturday then rose to the challenge. Then came Cyber Monday. But the fact that consumers are making their holiday purchases earlier and earlier inspired the creation of Pink Friday.
Susan Testa, owner of Romantiques and the newly opened French Lessons, is spearheading the Pink Friday event in Los Gatos on Nov. 22. “We are organizing the Los Gatos small businesses to participate and to donate a gift card for a collective gift basket that will be drawn on Small Business Saturday” on Nov. 30, Testa says. “Each business will celebrate Pink Friday in their own way: discounts, gifts with purchase, sip and shops and more. Businesses will decorate with pink balloons, offer treats and pink champagne, and more.”
Pink Friday participants include Affordable Treasures, Beaute Bar, Bella Rosa, Beyond Text, Black Cat Hats, Blackwell Cosmetics, Campisi and Co., East Kennedy, French Lessons by Romantiques, Gooseberry Designs, Jackie O, JEN Statement Jewelry, Just Write Arts, Kismet, Kiss and Makeup, Palapa Lounge Beachwear, Remi B, Romantiques, Time Out Clothing, Voluptuary and Xandra Swimwear. The event runs 11 a.m.-6 p.m.