Trendy Twist Boutique - great shopping experience in store and on their website TrendyTwistBoutique.com

Trendy Twist Boutique – great shopping experience in store and on their website TrendyTwistBoutique.com

Trendy Twist Boutique offers a unique shopping experience that blends contemporary and modern fashions under one roof.  Trendy Twist Boutique offers an opportunity for women to blend fashions together to make that one fashion statement. When our customers smile as they exit the dressing room…we know they’ve found “The Outfit” they were looking for. Trendy Twist Boutique provide a great shopping experience in store and on their website TrendyTwistBoutique.com

Founder’s/Owner’s story and what motivated them to start the business

Trendy Twist Boutique was created by mother and daughter duo Gloria D. Anderson and Shereca R. Anderson. For eleven years the pair have dreamed about opening a boutique that exemplify classy and timeless fashions for every woman.  Shereca(daughter) and Gloria (mother) are passionate about their love for fashion and sharing it with others. For years their idea was just on paper, but on May 5, 2018 the duo opened their first store front at 910 S. Cashua Drive, Florence, South Carolina and began to build their customer base in their hometown through tradeshows, social media campaigns and mailers.   Weeks later they also launched their online platform TrendyTwistBoutique.com to provide the same offerings to the world.

Gloria’s interest in fashion first came about right after high school when she worked at a downtown department store, surrounded by other high-fashion retailers.  It wasn’t unusual for her to swing by and pick up a new outfit after work from a neighboring store.  As Shereca grew up and moved to Atlanta shortly after college, she was introduced to high-end designers and also fell in love with fashion.  The ladies found themselves switching clothing and accessories with each other for multiple occasions.  It was this act of swapping styles that sparked the idea for their boutique that would cater to women of all age ranges!  Both Gloria and Shereca prefer timeless, classic outfits that never go out of style…both believe in quality fashions and do not like to wasting money on fast fashions.  Both know from experience that quality clothing cared for properly can last ten-fifteen years. 

Whether you’re looking for a comfortable outfit to wear to your next dinner party with friends or cocktail attire for a more formal event, Trendy Twist has you covered!  They offer clothing for a variety of body types and lifestyles, selling everything from closet staples to gorgeous statement pieces.  They also carry an array of casual footwear to pair with your favorite pair of jeans, as well as heels to compliment your most beautiful dress.  You’ll find everything from sequined cocktail dresses to comfy cardigans on the racks at Trendy Twist Boutique.  Some of their bestselling, well-known brands include Donna Morgan, Maggy London, Ivy Jane, Uncle Frank and Sanctuary Clothing.  

Not only is their clothing exceptional, so are the souls behind the business!  Both Shereca and Gloria are ready and waiting to greet you with big smiles and sweet personalities.  If you stop by, you’ll be sure to leave Trendy Twist with two new friends and a great-looking outfit!  They love interacting with their customers, getting to know them both in-person and on their social media page. Gloria (Mother) has devoted her fashion expertise on helping other ladies find their style and love offering up fashion tips every Tuesday on their Facebook page.

Shereca’s knowledge in business entrepreneurship helped them become an unstoppable, successful duo!  They both can agree that while there have been moments of opposition along the way; they’ve been able to settle on common ground at the end of the day.  Even after they leave the store after a long day of working, they still make time every week to enjoy family time together.

Gloria and Shereca can confidentially state that anybody who comes through their door will leave as a genuinely satisfied customer.   When assisting their customers, they will take into consideration everything- from clothing styles that will best accentuate their body type to a color palette that is the most flattering for an individual.  They want to ensure their customers leave their shop feeling happy and fabulous!  Not only will the clothes look great, but also their clothing quality is exceptional.  What do you do with a favorite outfit?  You wear it and show it off every chance you get!  Their clothing will hold up to this task for years to come!  As Gloria words it, “You will outgrow your outfit, long before your outfit outgrows you!”

The challenges the business/market is facing

The biggest challenges Trendy Twist Boutique recently faced was the effects of the pandemic, after having to temporarily close their doors during the 2020 pandemic, Shereca and Gloria were nervous as to what this could mean for their small business, but they quickly pivoted to Amazon as a seller and relied heavily on their online sales they were able to remain open and reopen their doors months later.    Shereca (Daughter) spent a lot of late nights completing applications for small business grants during the pandemic. After applying for the SC CARES – Minority and Small Business Relief Grant Program, Trendy Twist Boutique was awarded these funds out of thousands of applicants across South Carolina. Shereca also apply for assistance through the Small Business Administration for pandemic relief, but wasn’t successful after many attempts. The revenue and funding allowed them to maintain inventory levels to provide products to their customers. Gloria & Shereca reinvest 95% all revenue back into the business for operations and inventory. They believe in what they have to offer and know the world will soon catch on to their vision. Trendy Twist Boutique are also competing with online big box department stores and Insta-boutiques.  The Amazon Seller platform has offered a lot of challenges for their small business because of their competitive pricing and very relaxed returned policy with customers.  Some of their merchandise have been returned to us worn/damage and we simply had to write the merchandise off as a loss. The recent supply chain issue has delayed the flow of rolling out our inventory but our vendors have been very gracious in discounting our purchases and not charging us for shipping. We have a great relationship with all of our vendors. 

The opportunities the business/market is facing

The greatest opportunities Trendy Twist Boutique is being a member of the Atlanta Americas Mart and recently joining the Dallas Apparel Market, this allows us the opportunity to seek a variety of fashions to provide to our customers. As women rebound from the pandemic, they are peeling away from the Tees and Tights and are wanting to get back to fashion that compliments their body types.  Now that everyone is “Out Side” they want to look their very best at all times. 

Trendy Twist Boutique have partnered with After-Pay and Shop-Pay to provide installment pay options for our customers. This option has helped increase online sales tremendously. 

We’ve had great support from our local business community who has provided everything from free publications in local magazines and discounted advertising for our business. Our local Talbot’s store often makes referrals to us if their customers are looking for a particular item and we often make referrals back to them and other local boutiques in the area.  This network of exchange has been great for our boutique.  We’ve partnered with our local Hospital McLeod Health to provide employee discounts to it staff. 

Gloria (Mother) & Shereca (Daughter) have envisioned franchising their boutique as the business grows, they are hoping they can expand their boutique to fashion hubs such as Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC.  In addition to the franchises they would like to create their own fashion label in the future.  

Advice to others about business

  1. Don’t assume anything in business. When we opened our doors we just knew we would have an influx of customers knocking down our doors.  We quickly learned that building your branding is very important, in the age of social media it is extremely important. Shereca makes sure that every content that is put out feels and look professional.  The goal is always to make sure you create a lasting impression. 
  2. Know the purpose of direction of where you want your business to go.  If you don’t have a plan, your business will stay dormant.  
  3. Always make customers feel like they are your number one priority, when customers walk into our store we often offer them refreshments as if they are in private shopping experience at Neiman Marcus. We treat every customer as VIP to create a connection and create a loyal customer base who won’t mind sharing their VIP experience with others to spread the word about our services. 
  4. You will work more hours as a small business owner then you would for working for someone else. Gloria and Shereca often say they work harder for the boutique then working their full- time jobs. The online store never closes so it’s a 24/7 job to make sure orders are fulfilled. You must have the ability to pivot, to endure the challenges you will likely face as a small business owner.  You have to be prepared for whatever that comes your way.  
  5. Most days being the owner of our small boutique is very rewarding but yet some days it’s hard, but nevertheless we keep showing up because we believe in what we are doing. When you have a small duo building something big, that means a steep learning curve, learning new skills, and wearing many hats.
  6. Although Gloria is retired from her former employer General Electric, Shereca still maintains a full-time job within a local school district. In an effort to not burn themselves out we vow to make time for ourselves and to maintain a good work-life balance.  Planning and maintaining a schedule is the key to being successful. 
  7. Building great relationships with Vendors is key.  Without our Vendors support, there would not be a Trendy Twist Boutique. We made it our mission to create relationships with national brands, we did not want to be boxed into a particular category just because we are an African American owned boutique. We want to provide a diverse boutique for all women.   

Our Mission is to provide Women of all ages with trendy pieces to add to their wardrobe while bringing a twist of modern and contemporary fashions under one roof! Shereca and Gloria warmly welcome you to stop by their storefront located at 910 S. Cashua Drive, Florence SC 29501. We offer in store shopping, curbside pickup, as well as online shopping online @trendytwistboutique.com. We are a boutique with a Trendy Twist on fashion for the Trendy Woman.  

Ieva Kubiliute

Ieva Kubiliute is a psychologist and a sex and relationships advisor and a freelance writer. She's also a consultant to several health and wellness brands. While Ieva specialises in covering wellness topics ranging from fitness and nutrition, to mental wellbeing, sex and relationships and health conditions, she has written across a diverse range of lifestyle topics, including beauty and travel. Career highlights so far include: luxury spa-hopping in Spain and joining an £18k-a-year London gym. Someone’s got to do it! When she’s not typing away at her desk—or interviewing experts and case studies, Ieva winds down with yoga, a good movie and great skincare (affordable of course, there’s little she doesn’t know about budget beauty). Things that bring her endless joy: digital detoxes, oat milk lattes and long country walks (and sometimes jogs).

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