We've received many questions regarding the new store so we took the time to sit down and answer them for you...
Why on Earth are you opening another store?
With the great success we've had with Blake & Brady, we've been able to order and carry more inventory. This is absolutely fantastic for our customers but our actual store is bursting at the seems. We need more room! Lucky for us, the space just above us was open and available and, after surveyed, looked like the perfect space for us to expand into.
Why is Blake & Brady able to expand when most businesses is this nation are struggling to stay open?
To say we feel blessed to have this opportunity and ability to expand would be an understatement. When we made the decision to lower our price points and bring in more affordable inventory, almost two years ago, we had no idea how successful it would be. It was a big chance we took and it paid off. We've learned that, with these tough economic times, each business must adjust their business model in order to survive. Without the support of the Anderson, Clemson, and Upstate communities, we wouldn't be in this great position.
You've mentioned in the past that much of your success is due to Facebook, can you explain?
We never knew that we'd become a Facebook based store but it has certainly turned out that way. We began taking pictures of our girls in our new arrivals and posting a few pictures on Facebook because we had women requesting we do so. They wanted to make sure they really liked the item before they drove to our store from Clemson, Greenville, etc. to try it on. Once we started posting these pictures on our Facebook page, we were getting numerous comments from many others. That's when we knew we may have stumbled upon a valuable tool. We continued to post pictures on our Facebook page each time we received new product, and it took off from there. It's been wonderful and has become a great way to interact with our customers!
We hear your name all over town, is that weird for you, did you ever think you would become so widely known in town and all over South Carolina?
It's absolutely surreal. Some of our girls who model our new arrivals are being noticed out and about in South Carolina. They have people approach them asking "Hey are you that girl from the Blake & Brady page?". We've even walked past people who are conversing about our store. We don't think it will ever get old. We are so thankful to have become widely known and talked about.
Tell us about The Loft, what can we expect?
When designing The Loft we wanted to make sure it had a lofty, yet modern feel. The space had beautiful old hardwood floors and over 100 year old ceilings. We worked to bring all that old southern charm out in our new space. You can expect to find a comfortable and inviting shopping space detailed with distressed wooden benches, modern and funky lighting, and large custom mirrors perfect for modeling in front of.
What about the product, what will you be offering at The Loft?
We'll have rows and rows of women's shoes to choose from! We can not wait to put them on display and show them off to all of you tomorrow. The best part about our shoes is how affordable they are. Most of our spring, summer shoes will be priced at $50.00 or below! Our Fall and winter shoes will be at about $75.00 and below, but that's because boots tend to be a little bit more expensive than pumps or flats. When choosing what shoes to bring into stock, we paid close attention to their costs. We only want to offer our customers items they'll love at prices they can afford.
In addition to shoes, we'll carry women's and men's denim! We'll still have all of your favorites like Hudson, and Paige Denim, but we'll also be bringing in lower priced lines to accommodate everyone's budget. From white skinny jeans to tailored flare leg denim, we'll have what you're looking for. We urge you to encourage your man to come in and try on a pair of designer denim. He'll never want to wear his Levis again!
We've seen in pictures that you'll have a big couch in The Loft, why is that?
We know most men don't care for shopping, they want to get in and get out but sometimes their ladies drag them out and they find themselves pacing the store floor looking up sports scores on their cell phones. We feel we've solved that 'uuhhh I can't wait to get out of here' longing that men typically have. We will have a large leather couch sitting in front of a 55" flat screen TV for the men to sit in front of and enjoy while their female counterparts are shopping the day away. In addition to a great place to lounge, we'll have a few items men may find appealing. We're talking about the line of custom knives we're bringing into stock in the men's section. What man doesn't love a good pocket knife? One other item we must touch on for men, is the new line of boxers we'll be carrying. They're called Royal Highnies (we know, funny name) but are extremely popular and loved by many men. They're 400 thread count of heaven for every man's bottom. Once you try on a pair, we guarantee you'll never wear anything else.
Where can we find pictures of your 'new arrivals' at The Loft?
We have a completely new and separate Facebook page dedicated to The Loft at Blake and Brady. We will be posting pictures of our new arrivals on that page, just like we have done on our regular page. Customers will be able to comment under each picture and order through our facebook page, call us at the store and order over the phone, or drop by to see us in person. We would like to note that our FastTrack email will stay the same. There will not be two of these. When we send out an email to our customers on the FastTrack list, they will be notified of new arrivals at Blake & Brady, and at The Loft at Blake & Brady, in one email. So don't worry about having to sign up again! If you are not already signed up for our FastTrack emails, you can do so by clicking HERE!
So, we have to ask, are you nervous about opening a new store?
We'd be lying if we said we weren't a little nervous, but overall, we're extremely excited. Because we are not new to downtown Anderson, we have the confidence in our ability to succeed and thrive here in this wonderful city. The one aspect we're a little 'iffy' about, is not knowing how quickly our new product will sell and whether or not we've ordered enough inventory! If we run out of product too quickly, at least we'll know how much to bring in with our next order. This is going to be an experiment for all of us at the beginning. We can't stress to everyone how thankful we are for your support and encouragement!
Don't forget, Tomorrow is the day! Make sure you 'Like' The Loft at Blake & Brady's facebook page so that you can be the first to see our new products! CLICK HERE
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