Saturday Business Spotlight: Vicky’s Boutique & Gifts in Atlanta bucks
the stereotypical mold on the boutique experience
[July 26, 2025] As
she zeros in on the two-year anniversary of Vicky’s Boutique & Gifts
owner Vicky Shaffer says “I believe I have found my store’s forever home
in Atlanta.” Located at 108 SW First Street, Shaffer is enjoying success
in the small-town community.
With nearly 30 years of selling experience, she has grown her business
from a jewelry making venture to a boutique bus and now to brick and
mortar.
Shaffer’s story begins way back when she decided she was going to make
jewelry for a little extra income. She made pieces that she then
basically wholesaled to another person who would then retail the
jewelry. Shaffer said that person gave her some sound advice when he
told her that for every piece she made to sell, she should make one
piece to add to her own inventory. Then at some point she would be ready
to cut out the middleman and enjoy seeing her pieces going to customers,
and making more money along the way.
She took that advice and built on it, selling jewelry then eventually
getting an old bus and working at various events and festivals with her
Boutique Bus also enjoying success.
Then after much contemplation, she decided she wanted to try her hand at
a brick and mortar. Her first experience in this type of venue was a
shop in McLean. Shaffer said the shop was doing well and she was
satisfied with her progress in the retail business world. Then, as is
sometimes the case, the space she was renting changed ownership and
trying to work with the new owner was difficult.
This is when there came to light one of those “it was meant to be”
moments. In the same building as Shaffer, Justine Geary, a graduate of
Olympia High School familiar with Atlanta had heard that Josh and Ashley
Collins of Collins Roofing had purchased multiple storefronts on SW
First Street in Atlanta with plans to refurbish the buildings and turn
them back into useable retail space. Geary and Shaffer expressed an
interest in two of the locations, which at that moment were not move in
ready. But Shaffer said that the Collins worked day and night to speed
up the remodel so that the two businesses leaving McLean would be able
to move to Atlanta. Both are still running today and doing well in their
new homes.
Shaffer spoke
about her business saying that she enjoys having several established
customers from McLean who have followed her to Atlanta, and she has also
collected new clientele from her new community, and locations beyond. In
addition, she says that the fact Atlanta has built itself up as a
popular Route 66 tourist attraction is also good for her business.
Shaffer was asked what she thought made her business special, and she
was not short on answers. First, she said that while the store is named
“Boutique” and Gifts, there is a smaller sign in the front window that
says “Mercantile.” She feels that the latter is the most descriptive of
what shoppers will find inside.
Second, she said that there is a stereotypical assumption that
“boutique” implied clothing only for the younger generation and is sizes
that not many women actually wear. Her goal is to offer inclusive
clothing for women, and that means nice things that are suitable for
mature women as well as younger ones, and in sizes that offer those nice
things to women who are not tiny.
But, there is much more to it than just clothing, thus the better
definition of her store is “mercantile.”
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Clothing and an
exclusive line of shoes and jeans are key components, but they do not
overshadow the little girls’ dresses, sunglasses for all ages, comfy
warmers stuffed animals that are wonderful soothers for little ones as
well as teenagers, items such as hand painted tea towels, and of course
there is still Shaffer’s handmade jewelry.
Other items include home décor for inside and outside. These are items
like lovely yard ornaments, suncatchers and a wide variety of crystal
objects such as bright red cardinals.
There are hand painted hats, and purses that are scan-proof to help
protect owners from credit card theft.
Shaffer also showed off a unique set of handbags that she said are
upcycled. With the exception of the hardware, such as clasps or snaps,
every inch of the handbags are made from recycled products such as
plastic bottles.
She has expanded
her artistic talents to include, alongside the jewelry, handmade
greeting cards as well as some wonderfully unique pop-up cards some that
are even lighted.
Another good seller in the store is the selection of Fanny Mae candies
she offers as well as drink mix kits and other food items.
To satisfy the
tourism industry, she has a selection of Route 66 items, and she is very
proud to offer the Atlanta Tourism hooded sweatshirt. These shirts have
the Atlanta Tourism logo/mascot the Paul Bunyan hotdog man giant.
Shaffer said that she also strives to offer the best shopping
experience. Being the only one in the store most of the time, she offers
friendly service, helpful suggestions for shoppers, but also feels she
does a good job of letting customers take their time and browse the
store on their own, making their own discoveries as they do so.
Shaffer said that she can sum it up nicely when she says that she is
happy in Atlanta where the community has been very supportive of her
business and are becoming not just shoppers, but also friends. She says
that she likes the amount of traffic she sees in the store and with her
30 years of experience in retail, she feels she is on the right track to
keep her business going for years to come.
Indeed, she feels she has found her store’s forever home in the small
community of Atlanta.
Vicky’s Boutique is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. and Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. She will also open the
store by appointment for personal shopping or to host group shopping
events.
If you have the opportunity to be in Atlanta, don’t pass up a chance to
stop by Vicky’s, but be sure to bring that wallet or debit/credit card,
because you will surely find something there that you’ll want to take
with you when you leave.
[Nila Smith]
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