Boutique Chat

Latest Episodes:

Five Minute Friday: The Real Strategy Behind Selling Through Inventory Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

One of the biggest mistakes boutique owners make is treating inventory like a launch-day event instead of a long-term sales opportunity. You spend time ordering, unpacking, steaming, photographing, and promoting new arrivals—then move on to the next collection while the last one sits on the racks.

In this episode, Digital Boutique Co breaks down how to build an intentional inventory lifecycle that helps you sell more of what you already own, market products more effectively, and avoid unnecessary markdowns.

You'll learn:

How to build an inventory marketing plan before new arrivals hit your website
Why you shouldn't rush to discount products after launch day
How organic social media and paid retargeting ads can work together
Ways to use styling videos, outfit pairings, product details, and live sales to move slower sellers

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Digital Boutique Co:

Website: digitalboutiqueco.com Instagram: @digitalboutiqueco

#834: The Business Disaster Plan You Hope You Never Need Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

What happens when a natural disaster destroys your boutique, your inventory, and the business you've spent years building?

For many independent retailers, rebuilding isn't as simple as filing an insurance claim. Flooding, hurricanes, and other disasters can leave business owners without the resources they need to reopen—and entire communities can lose the local shops that help make them special.

Ashley Alderson sits down with Patrick Keiser of Heart on Main Street, a nonprofit dedicated to independent retailer resiliency, to discuss how the organization helps small businesses recover after disasters through financial grants, wholesale product support, and hands-on rebuilding projects.

Patrick shares what recovery has looked like for retailers in Asheville, North Carolina, and Texas Hill Country, why insurance may not cover everything a business owner loses, and how the wholesale community can play a vital role in helping independent retailers get back on their feet.

You'll learn:

Why independent retailers are often overlooked after natural disasters
The devastating impact disasters can have on small businesses and local communities
How Heart on Main Street helps retailers rebuild and reopen
How participating in Pink Friday helps support Heart on Main Street

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Patrick Keiser & Heart on Main Street:

Website: heartonmainstreet.org

Grant Application: grant application

Instagram:@heartonmainstreet

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🛍️ Join the Movement - PINK FRIDAY!

Pink Friday Map 👉 PFMap

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

Five Minute Friday: 2 Retail Hot Takes That Could Change How You Do Business Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Are you investing thousands in inventory but hesitating to invest in the education that could help your boutique grow?

Samantha Conner is back to shares two powerful takeaways from recent markets that could change how you approach your retail business: investing in education that pays you back season after season, and creating experiences that make customers want to stop, connect, and shop.

You'll learn:

Why education is an investment, not an expense
How to evaluate a coaching program
Why traditional sales approaches can push customers away
How customer activations build relationships

Join The Boutique Hub

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

#833: Pink Friday 2026: The Small Business Event You Can't Afford to Miss Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Pink Friday isn't about having the biggest sale. It's about giving shoppers a reason to choose small businesses first.

So how do you make Pink Friday work for your boutique without sacrificing your profit?

Ashley Alderson and Sara Burks break down Pink Friday, the movement helping small businesses get shoppers through their doors and onto their websites before the big-box retailers take center stage.

You'll learn:

How to organize a boutique crawl and collaborate with local businesses
Creative online event ideas, giveaways, scavenger hunts, and live sales
How to turn holiday shoppers into loyal, year-round customers
How to plan ahead for a holiday season with more profit and more peace

Pink Friday is about supporting small first, building community over competition, and reminding shoppers why independent businesses matter. Participation is free, and retailers can access resources to help plan and promote their events. Ready to participate?

Join The Boutique Hub

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🛍️ Join the Movement - PINK FRIDAY!

Pink Friday Map 👉 PFMap

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

Five Minute Friday: 2027 Fashion Trends: What to Buy, Watch & Test Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Which fashion trends should you actually buy for your boutique—and which ones could leave you sitting on unsold inventory?

After walking the runways at New York Fashion Week, Samantha Conner breaks down the fashion trends shaping Fall/Winter 2026 and Spring/Summer 2027, with practical advice to help boutique owners make smarter buying decisions.

Samantha shares a simple - BUY, WATCH & TEST - framework to help you evaluate upcoming trends, protect your open-to-buy budget and choose inventory based on what your customers actually want.

You'll learn:

The biggest fashion trends coming for 2026–2027
How to use accessories to test a trend before investing heavily
Why you shouldn't replace a bestseller too early or copy another boutique's buying strategy
Which trends to test carefully, including low-rise denim, sheer clothing and micro-minis

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Fashion tells you what's coming, but intelligence tells you what will sell. Don't buy every forecast color or chase every viral micro-trend. Know your customer, review your sales data and decide what to buy, what to watch and what to test.

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

#832: What Happens When 90% of Your Business Disappears Overnight Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

What happens when the platform driving 90% of your sales disappears overnight?

Ashley sits down with Dana Hicks, owner of LimeBerry Designs, to share the real story of losing her biggest sales channel and rebuilding her business from the ground up.

Ashley and Dana talk about surviving a business crisis, the importance of not putting all your eggs in one basket, learning to focus on profit instead of just sales, and what it really takes to keep showing up when things get hard.

You'll learn:

The story behind LimeBerry
Rebuilding through retail, wholesale, and marketing
The power of community, coaching, and showing up
Getting 1% better every day

If you're building a business, this is a reminder that the goal isn't just to grow—it's to build something strong enough to keep going when things don't go according to plan.

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Dana Hicks & LimeBerry:

Instagram:@limeberrydesigns & @limeberrywholesale

Website: limeberrydesigns.com

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🛍️ Learn more about PINK FRIDAY!

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

Five Minute Friday: Sitting Inventory Is Costing You More Than You Think Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

What should you post today? That might actually be the wrong question.

Instead, ask: "What do I need to sell today?"

Your inventory should help determine your marketing strategy. In this episode, Sara Burks breaks down how boutique owners can stop posting just to stay active and start creating content with a purpose—based on where their dollars are actually tied up. From fresh arrivals and high-demand products to excess inventory and merchandise that simply needs to leave, each category requires a different approach.

You'll learn:

Why your inventory should determine your marketing
Why "sale, sale, sale" can lose its impact with customers
Ways to bundle, restyle, rephotograph, and reposition products
How to identify the products that need attention right now

Join The Boutique Hub

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

#831: How to Turn More Browsers Into Buyers Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

How much revenue are you losing from customers who were ready to buy—but never finished the purchase?

In this episode, Ashley Alderson sits down with Jake Inman from Redo to break down one of the biggest opportunities in ecommerce: converting more of the customers you already have instead of constantly chasing new traffic.

You'll learn:

Why abandoned carts represent a major opportunity for boutiques
How Redo's Recover tool uses human SMS conversations to reconnect with shoppers
How customer responses can reveal "why" shoppers abandon their purchases
The conversion rates Jake says Redo typically sees from recovered carts

If you're a boutique owner trying to increase online sales, improve conversion, recover lost revenue, and get more out of the customers already visiting your website, this conversation is packed with practical ideas.

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Jake Inman & Redo:

Instagram:@redo_hq

Website: redo.com

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Corky's Footwear:

🔗 corkysfootwear.com

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

Five Minute Friday: 5 Reasons to Take Photos at Market Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Are you taking enough photos when you shop at market?

Jacob from FAVES breaks down the 5 reasons boutique owners should take photos at market — and why documenting what you see and buy can make a huge difference long after you leave the showroom.

5 Reasons to Take Photos at Market:

1. Remember What You Bought - (Keep a visual reference of the products, styles, and details you selected.)

2. Avoid Duplicate Styles - (Compare what you've already purchased so you don't accidentally buy two pieces that are too similar.)

3. Curate Your Merchandise - (See how different pieces work together and build cohesive color stories and collections before they arrive at your store.)

4. Preview Products to Your Customers - (Use your market photos to start creating excitement around new arrivals and give customers a preview of what's coming.)

5. Educate Your Team - (Capture important product details like fabrics, buttons, pockets, lining, colors, care instructions, and other features your team needs to know.)

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Try FAVES:

Website: thefavesapp.com Instagram: @thefavesapp

#830: Stop Treating Your Boutique Like a Hobby Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

What happens when you take over a 48-year-old boutique—and realize the business has to change?

In this episode, Megan Healey joins Ashley Alderson to share her journey from corporate retail to legacy boutique owner. After discovering The Boutique Hub through this very podcast, she went on to purchase Different Strokes for Little Folks.

Megan shares how she had to learn how to stop treating the store like a hobby, trust the numbers, reduce inventory, build better systems, and still protect the heart and authenticity that made the business special in the first place. And her impact goes far beyond the store. Megan is helping bring local businesses together, working to strengthen her community through collaboration, events, and economic development.

You'll learn: