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Community Corner

Boutique Owner is the Newest Edition to Sewickley Retail

Arkansas native Kathryn Richardson recently opened Rosewood, a clothing store in Sewickley.

Sewickley has a new resident. World traveler and entrepreneur Kathryn Richardson and her husband decided to move back to the area and make Sewickley their home.

Not only is Richardson an interesting and vibrant person, she's the latest business business owner to open in the village.

Only 90 days after moving and with a little help from Village Green Partners, Richardson found Beaver Street to be the perfect home for her women’s clothing boutique, . She sat down recently with Patch to answer our questions about her background and the new store.

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Q. Where are you originally from?

A. I grew up in the North Hills. I met my husband, an Arkansas native, while studying abroad in Italy. After college, I moved to Little Rock, AR, and worked for Dillard’s headquarters as a designer. After a year there, my husband and I decided to see the world. We lived and worked in Hong Kong; Washington, D.C.; and Nicaragua. Eventually, we decided to move back to the Pittsburgh area.

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Q. When did you move back to Sewickley?

A. Just since January this year.

Q. When you decided to open another store what made you choose the village?

A. Growing up we would always go to Sewickley to shop. Since I love walkable towns, I thought Sewickley would be a great fit for my kind of store. After looking around the village there seemed to be a lot of great spaces around that had a lot of potential. I also wanted to bring something affordable that women could just stop in and get something to wear that night without having to go to the mall.

Q. What does Rosewood mean or represent?

A. Rosewood is beautiful simplicity.

Q. How long have you been open?

A. Although I opened the doors for my “soft” opening on March 13, the grand opening is April 1.

Q. You mentioned another store prior, please tell me about it.

A. About three years ago, after my stint in Hong Kong, my sister-in-law and I started a store in Little Rock called Ember. The store has been such a success that I based the concept of my new store entirely off of it. Like Rosewood, Ember offers affordable, fun fashions with inventory coming in once a week.

Q. How did Village Green Partners help you?

A. Village Green was great. For me only being in town a few weeks, they were able to give me the lay of the land and make many suggestions on where they thought a good storefront would be. We talked about the various layouts of each property and the locations. They also really helped me connect with the different property owners.

Q. Your store boasts a lovely, well-edited collection. What kind of customer does your product appeal to?

A. I think that while my merchandise appeals to women of all ages, it specifically appeals to women that want to keep up with the trends but not spend a fortune. I try to stay focused on things that are trendy but wearable. I really listen to what the customer wants and try to meet their needs.

Q. You have a well-rounded collection. Would someone be able to get everything they needed in one place?

A. You can get the essentials -- basic tanks and tees and leggings -- and then a fun dress or top and tons of jewelry to accessorize just about any outfit with. I really like to talk to my customers and help them figure out what they have in their closet now that would go with the piece they are buying.  I am looking to get shoes once it warms up.

Q. Is it true that everything is and always will cost less than $100?

A. For now, the clothing and accessories will be less than $100. However, the beautiful modern art, done exclusively by local artists, is naturally at a higher price point.

Q. Other than the obvious, how does that set you apart?

A. Well, other than everything being in an affordable price range, I also get new inventory in every week. I want to bring my customers variety and special pieces, so I usually won't order the same thing again. This way, people can feel like they have a special item that not everyone is going to be wearing. In Little Rock, we trained our customers to purchase an item the instant they see it -- otherwise it might soon be gone. Often times, we would post a new style online, and it would sell out by lunchtime. 
  

Q. How has your customer reception been?

A. Overwhelmingly positive. People are so friendly in Sewickley. They really love to share and talk about new stores. There has been a great response to the clothing I carry and the environment I’ve created.

Q. You mentioned that you have already met other business owners; what sense does that give you of our business district?

A. All of the business owners have been very welcoming and quick to reach out to me to lend their moral support. There is a real sense of togetherness as everyone is so passionate about bolstering this town to make Sewickley the best it can be.

Q. We are excited to have you. Do you have any advice for the other businesses opening or anyone thinking of taking the leap?

A.  I think it's really important to see what businesses are already in Sewickley so you aren't repeating a business model. Variety is always great in a small town.

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