Society Boutique uses Innovative Branding to Breeze Through Pandemic
Clarkston business uses a strong sense of community to stay alive and thrive.
By Maria Schodowski
It has always been Kaitlin Milliken's dream to open her own boutique. On Feb. 29, 2020, that dream became a reality when she opened the doors to Society Boutique in the heart of downtown Clarkston.
Getting to this point was a long journey for Milliken, who says she “acquired the building about two years ago and conducted extensive planning and renovations before the grand opening.” Through Milliken’s creative design skills, she was able to erase the building’s history as a painting studio and turn it into a brand new “cutting edge, high-end fashion (boutique) in a charming, small-town setting,” as she describes it on her store’s website.
Then COVID-19 hit. As a new business, she did not experience the same challenges as other businesses, but thanks to accommodating vendors and the support of the community, she has been able to weather the storm.
The exterior of Society Boutique located on 12 Main Street in downtown Clarkston. Courtesy Society Boutique
Retail companies like J.C. Penney and Neiman Marcus declared bankruptcy this year as a result of the pandemic, as did many others in a variety of industries. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce states that “most small businesses are concerned about financial hardship due to prolonged closures (70%), and more than half worry about having to permanently close (58%).” If large-scale companies are struggling to survive the outbreak of the virus, then it can be expected that the same agony would be felt by small or local businesses as well, but that is not the case for Society Boutique.
Ever since she was a free-spirited little girl, Milliken has loved the extra personality that clothes gave her while shopping with her mom. Her love for clothing is the reason that she had her heart set on opening her own boutique one day.
As she got older, Milliken followed her heart and went to school for fashion merchandising and marketing. Now, she is living the dream and slowly creating an empire within the walls of her boutique as she carries 14 vendors, including Paige, Steve Madden and Joe’s.
“It’s me, my mom, the owners, then my sister and two other employees,” Milliken says.“We had just hired the two new employees before shutdown so I did not have to lay anyone off since they hadn’t started yet.”
Clothing style arrangement in Society Boutique demonstrating chic and simplicity. Courtesy Society Boutique
Despite the fact that the effects of the virus robbed the boutique of its sense of life and comfort, Milliken and her team sought out ideas on clever ways to continue generating buzz. This led to the birth of a new “outfit of the day” series on the Society Boutique Instagram page which created a new avenue of business sales during the lockdown.
This encouraged Milliken to create an e-commerce website. She had not foreseen doing this so soon as she hoped to motivate customers to not only physically shop at her boutique on Main Street, but other local businesses as well to preserve an in-person, relaxing and comfortable shopping experience. Yet, they received positive feedback on the site. Both locals and people from other cities “were thinking about us all throughout quarantine,” proving that “people still want to support local businesses” Milliken says.
Frequent shopper Ashley Campbell says shopping at the boutique is a fun experience. “It is always so bright and lively inside, and they consistently update their clothes so they always have cute new stuff,” she says. “I feel like the workers genuinely want to form a bond with their community. Every time I've visited, the shoppers and workers are always extremely friendly and outgoing.”
Kaitlyn from @collectivelykaitlyn on Instagram commented on one of Society Boutique’s Instagram posts, saying “Loveee that crewneck! I need to stop in soon so we can chat/shop!” She says, “I love the styles and trends. So many boutiques try to be something they’re just not capable of being but Society really hits the mark!”
Aside from extensive support from the community, Milliken says, “all of our vendors were extremely supportive, excited and hopeful that we were starting this new venture from the ground up” prior to and during quarantine. The team was still working on the inventory process and right when they had figured it out, the shutdown put everything to a halt. As companies reopen, Society Boutique is able to receive inventory on a more regular basis, "which relieves stress as we are able to get things a little bit easier now,” Milliken says.
The interior open-concept layout and seating area inside of Society Boutique. Courtesy Society Boutique
Despite the lack of availability on select styles that Milliken ordered in February for the fall of 2020, it does not dampen her positive perspective for the future and different personable styles that she can show her customers.
Her efforts in continuously connecting with locals are what created such a profound presence of hope and trust that influences customers’ faithfulness in a business.
Employee Susanne Rutila says community support is a primary reason for its success over the course of the pandemic. She explains that “everyone's been eager to get out of their homes, customers have been very welcoming because the business is new.” In spite of the online shopping Milliken set up, Rutila explains that “pedestrian traffic has been great and shopping local is what is keeping everyone alive.”
“People are keeping their distance and wearing masks, but everyone has been very social and welcoming. We have regulars coming in now and familiar faces,” Rutila says. “A family (is forming) with not only the employees but with customers as well, who come in every couple of days to see what we have new.”
Even with the success of this boutique, there is no question that the pandemic has caused some disruption for the business. Aside from inventory changes, there is also a delay in hosting events, but regardless of this setback, Society Boutique has managed to connect with the community in unexpected ways.
“I’ve noticed a lot of people coming in who are saying that they really want to support local businesses. Rather than buying clothes and accessories at Nordstrom, customers are coming to our boutique so that they could support local businesses,” Milliken says.
With Milliken’s whole life rooted in Clarkston, from eating at local restaurants with her family, to graduating from Clarkston High School, she has now created a clothing sanctuary with a variety of styles and comforting ambiance.
“We are really grateful for all of our supporters and everyone who has been so kind over everything going on,” Milliken says.There have been so many customers that have come in and really taken an interest in us and have supported us all throughout COVID and now coming back into the store.”
About the Writer:
Maria Schodowski of Clarkston, Michigan
Maria Schodowski lives in Clarkston, Michigan and is a rising freshman at Oakland University. She really enjoys connecting with and meeting new people through volunteering in her community. She is also very adventurous and loves traveling, road trips, camping, hiking and experiencing the culture of new areas!