About The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 2015)
The Champion, Thursday, April 2 - 8, 2015 BUSINESS Page 17A Bleu Hanger Manager Joey Molina, upper left photo, arranges dresses in the shop’s spring line. Blue hangers for all the clothes echo the shop’s name. The French spelling in the store’s name reflects its international atmosphere. Retail clothing sales spring upward by Kathy Mitchell Even those who have no plans to join a holiday promenade such as the New York 5th Avenue fashion spectacle celebrated in the 82-year- old Irving Berlin tune Easter Parade are likely to find in warm spring days inspiration to buy a new outfit. Approximately 80 percent of Americans are preparing to cel ebrate the coming of spring with Easter retail purchases that aver age $140.62, slightly more than last year’s $137.46, according to the National Retail Federations Eas ter Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. That amounts to a national total of ap- proximately$16.4 billion. Of that total, more than $2.9 billion is expected to be spent on ap parel, according to the survey, which indicates that 45 percent of those celebrating will purchase clothing. Among Easter spending categories, clothing is second to food and ahead of such categories as decorations, candy, gifts and greeting cards. “Easter will be the perfect segue into spring for both consumers and retailers who have longed for warm er weather for quite some time,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a news release. “As one of the busiest times of year for sever al retail sectors and as shelves begin filling with both traditional spring and holiday merchandise, retailers are looking forward to welcoming shoppers with attractive promotions on home goods, garden equipment and traditional Easter items.” While national and regional department store ads are filled with Easter clothing, the NRF survey in dicates that nearly one-quarter (23.8 percent) of Easter consumers plan to shop at a local or small business. That’s good news for retail stores such as Bleu Hanger, a recently opened women’s clothing boutique in Decatur. “We first opened in Decem ber—right in the heart of the holi day shopping season—and that got us off to a good start,” recalled Bleu Hanger Manager Joey Molina. “Of course there was a sales dip after holidays, but we are seeing sales pick up again for spring.” Bleu Hanger on East College Av enue near Agnes Scott College is an independent, locally owned women’s shop that features clothing geared to all ages with items suited to busi ness, causal and evening occasions, according to Molina. Molina describes the clothes, which are selected by owner Mel Milon, as “bold, elegant and sassy, yet not overly trendy. You don’t have to be a fashionista to be attracted to these clothes; they are for everyday women. “Still,” Molina added, “We have unusual items. You’re unlikely to run into someone on the street wearing the same thing. “I tell women, ‘Come in and look around. You’ll find some thing you like,’” said Molina, who said staff at Bleu Hanger like help ing people chose a suitable outfit whether they are looking for a dress for a special occasion or just want to freshen their wardrobe. He said the store seeks to offer items that most customers will find affordable and a good value. The store’s signature blue hang ers echo its name—chosen, accord ing to the store’s website-because “blue signifies tranquility and calm ness which is the atmosphere you’ll experience.” The French spelling of blue, Molina explained, reflects the shop’s international atmosphere, which also is suggested in the de cor. “We want everyone who visits to have a pleasant experience as though they’re exploring the closet of good friend with discriminating taste.” In addition to dresses, skirts, pants and blouses, the store sells such accessories as handbags, scarves and jewelry, some of which are the work of local designers and manufacturers. “We like to support other businesses in the area when possible,” Molina said, adding that the shop is considering offering lo cally produced items such as candles and toiletries. “The business community here in Decatur has been really support ive of us,” Molina said. “The neigh boring businesses are so friendly. A nearby restaurant even named a drink for us as a way of helping to get the word out that we’re here. It would be hard to imagine a better place to open a business.” The Voice of Business in DeKalb County DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Dekalb chamber Tub Pnwicoi Om Voili Tujo Decatur Town Center, I 25 Clairemont Ave., Suite 235, Decatur, GA 30030 404.378.8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org
