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A few weeks ago, I paid a visit to the newest independent retailer in our area to congratulate the owner and welcome them to the neighborhood. John and I have always made a point of doing this ever since we opened our shop over eight years ago. Our neighborhood of South Park has grown to such leaps, business-wise, that we don’t always get a chance to get to every place as soon as we’d like.

Maeve Riley is the shop I went to visit on this round. I met the owners once before, but I had not seen the newly opened shop. The owner was not there but I was thrilled to see the lovely transformation of the previously derelict storefront into a bright little gem of a boutique. The tightly edited collection of women’s and men’s independent designers shows the owner’s great eye and flair for capturing the spirit of the “what is happening now”; a true fashionista’s delight.

While I was perusing a the men’s selection, I made an off-handed remark to the clerk, “I just bought my husband a shirt and t-shirt like these at Kate Ross’s in North Park (2 miles up the street) and now I can shop closer. ” “Oh, people say that all the time” was the sales clerk’s cheerful reply.

I was soon mortified by what I said. I did not mean to make a shop comparison on my friendly visit to this boutique. To allude to any kind of comparison to a new retailer is a bit of a faux pas, but the more I thought about it, the more my comment rang true.

The lines carried by both boutiques are quite similar in nature and I would not be surprised if there is an overlap in merchandise. Their target demographic is essentially the same. One may take particular issues with shop design and other less significant details, but the sensibilities are very similar.

I love both places. My preference will be towards my fellow neighborhood independent retailer. But it will be interesting to see what, if anything, would make me go a little further out of the way to frequent Kate Ross over Maeve Riley.

There are a few questions independent retailers need to consider when they share markets with a near-by competitor.

What factors will a customer consider to go just a little further out of their way to frequent my business and what will I do to make that customer a loyal one?

In the fashion business, a quick turnaround in merchandise is necessary to cater to the voracious apetites of those in constant need of the new and the now.

Will exceptional service be the key? And what would be considered exceptional service for a boutique—individualized customer styling, direct marketing for line updates, or just plain kindness in dealing with your customer?

It will be a pleasure to see both businesses grow and thrive and see how what they do to stand above and beyond the rest of the fashion indie retailers.