KatyLoo just celebrated it's 2nd anniversary last month and we thought it'd be fun to share some history and spill some of our secrets! Jen McAliley, a Fort Mill native, is the owner and operator of KatyLoo and provided all the fun facts and behind-the-scenes info you probably didn't know about us. And at the bottom, we want to hear from you. So be sure to scroll down to help us out!
- Why did you open KatyLoo? Kim (our co-founder) and me were great neighbors and had always joked around at the bus stop waiting for our kids about owning a clothing boutique. We both love to shop and enjoy finding unique pieces, but always hated the boutique price tags. So one day, we decided to stop joking!
- Where does the name KatyLoo come from? KatyLoo is a combination of our daughter's names - Kate and Lucy. Our last babies were both girls (after two boys each), so we loved the idea of using our daughters for inspiration.
- How do your pop-up shops and trunk shows work? When someone is interested in hosting a trunk show in their home or business, we bring all of KatyLoo's inventory to you. This includes new arrivals, jewelry, clearance items, and even some items that haven't hit the website yet! As a host, you get 10% of the total sales in KatyKash to use on the date of your event, plus bonus incentives for orders higher than $500, $800, $1,200, etc. And you'll receive 50% off one item when a show is booked from yours! Just email jen@katyloo.com if interested in hosting.
- Our fastest selling product is...Piko dresses! They literally fly off the racks! In some cases, we haven't had a chance to put them online before they sold out. And any dress by Umgee are also very popular. People buy them in bulk!
- What do we do with items that don't sell? We try to eliminate any out of season inventory with a super sale. A few we may carry over to next year, but mostly we donate to charity.
- KatyLoo gives back...we have donated over $1,300 in clothing and accessories, gift cards and styling events to several local charities including Shriners Hospital, Greenway Ladies Guild, Nothing Pink (BRCA genetic testing awareness), Browns Corner, Cycle for Life and Carolina's Kickin' It (breast cancer research). We feel very fortunate to be able to help out when we can.
- Did you know how easy it is to return your items to KatyLoo? We give you 21 days to return or exchange any unused items (except for clearance items). Since we don't have a shop, I think people are afraid they can't return something. As a small business, we'd much rather have completely satisfied customers who will wear our clothes versus it hanging in their closet collecting dust.
- When you order new inventory, how do you ensure boutique quality? We use several manufacturers for our merchandise, so over the years we've been able to pick and choose which brands and styles work best. We then try on nearly every garment to ensure quality, fit and style. Who doesn't love a little dress-up from time to time??
- Did you know we carry camisoles and undershirts? With all the sheer tops and lightweight fabrics, our neutral camis (available in black or white) are the perfect base to keep those transparent looks from revealing too much. And they're only $12!
- Did you know our prices are the lowest in the area for the same brands you see at other boutiques? Because we do not have a storefront, we are able to keep our prices well below other shops. That was the reason we opened KatyLoo in the first place. We dare you to compare!
- Any future plans for KatyLoo? Coming soon, we will be opening an in-house boutique where customers can make an appointment to come shop at their leisure. We love having the flexibility for our customers and do what we can to cater to what they need. We also are looking into a new website design and a unique customized shopping experience for customers. Lots of exciting things happening, so stay tuned!
- Our favorite thing about running KatyLoo is...seeing all our loyal customers wearing our clothes around town and in photos. Hint: don't be afraid to tag #katylooboutique and #sharewhatyouwear in any of your social media photos. We typically offer a future discount for doing so!
- How do you decide what to carry or sell? We choose items based on style and trend. We carry an infinite number of unique brands and don't have any incentives to sell one over the other. We most frequently order from our customer favorites such as Piko, THML, Umgee, En Creme & Bellamie. Which leads me to ask you, our readers...
What type of clothing/accessories would you like to see KatyLoo carry? We want to keep carrying the items you want to try, so comment below with your ideas and desires. Help us make KatyLoo perfect for you!
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