Shopping for New Clothes? Try a Boutique Instead of a Big Box Store!

• Posted on 6 May 2022
• By Lux Boutique
• Posted in big box retailer, boutique
• 0

When it’s time for you to add to your wardrobe, where do you normally shop? Do you prefer to peruse the wares in your local and online boutiques, or are you more inclined to go to Macy’s, Dillard’s, or another big-name box store? Below are two very important reasons why you should buy your new clothes at a boutique instead of a department or big box store.

When it’s time for you to add to your wardrobe, where do you normally shop? Do you prefer to peruse the wares in your local and online boutiques, or are you more inclined to go to Macy’s, Dillard’s, or another big-name box store? Below are two very important reasons why you should buy your new clothes at a boutique instead of a department or big box store. 

The Customer Service is Impeccable

Customer service can make or break a business, and in today’s age of social media and shared experiences, that’s doubly true. Although the folks working at places like Macy’s and Dillard’s are amazing people who work hard to ensure that you are happy with your purchases, they simply cannot provide the same level of service as the lovely people in small boutiques. When you step into a boutique - or even when you order online - your entire order is processed by one of a very small group of people. There’s a very good chance that the people who helped you with an order will remember your name and face in the future, and the entire experience is far more personalized because of it. 

The same simply cannot be said for larger stores with hundreds of employees. They work just as hard to make sure you are happy, but when they are processing hundreds of orders a day for potentially thousands of different customers, the personalized service just isn’t there. In fact, if you experience an issue with a purchase at a big box store, you will probably speak to an entirely different department than the one that originally processed that order. Shopping in small boutiques just keeps things simpler, and it ensures that you get the customer service you deserve. 

You’re Supporting Local Business

Keeping communities alive and prosperous is all about shopping local. All too often, large department stores come into even the smallest towns and drive out small businesses that have existed for decades because they just can’t compete with the prices. While it’s true that box stores offer lower prices than boutiques, those lower prices come at the cost of lower quality goods, underpaid workers, and in the worst of cases, unethical business practices. A boutique is often just one store in one location that is owned and operated by the same people. You know exactly who and what you are supporting when you buy from a boutique. 

Furthermore, many of the large clothing outlets operate on a consignment basis. Manufacturers send out vast amounts of clothing merchandise for the store to sell. At the end of the season, the items that didn’t sell can be sent back to the manufacturer for a full refund or credit. This simply is not the case with boutiques. Many local boutiques work very closely with local brands that don’t have huge manufacturing facilities, so whatever quantity they buy is theirs for good. A boutique can’t return unsold merchandise for refunds or credits. The best they can do is offer an end-of-season sale to help recoup some of their initial costs. 

If you’re committed to buying locally, consider skipping Macy’s the next time you need to add to your wardrobe and shop a small boutique instead. Not only are you helping a local family put food on the table, but you are also supporting the community by ensuring that there is always a variety of options available for clothing, food, and other everyday essentials.