Boutique Makes Jump From Web To Main Street
/By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com
Online shopping can sometimes be a headache when shipped clothes don’t fit, or are radically different from what was ordered — and it’s also led a Commack resident to find a solution.
In January 2016, expecting mother Jamie Gale, armed with a few pieces of clothing and a whole lot of passion, opened her own online fashion website, Sugar Chevron Boutique.
The online store quickly grew to include a mobile boutique that Gale opened in the back of an old bus. The mobile boutique, which Gale brings to home parties, festivals, vendor events and fundraisers, was so popular, she said, that she decide to look for a more permanent location.
“Everybody was asking for a home base, a place to come and visit,” Gale said.
She decided to expand Sugar Chevron one step further on June 1 when she opened the brick and mortar location at 112 Main St., Northport Village.
While the online store and mobile boutique, both of which are still thriving, sell everything from women’s dresses and tops to shoes, the physical location in Northport exclusively sells bags, jewelry, hats and other accessories. There’s also a selection of items for men.
“I love Northport and the foot traffic,” Gale said. “It was pretty much the perfect, unexpected spot… I wouldn’t have opened the store anywhere else.”
Gale said the shop currently has a “nautical theme” to match the summer vibe in Northport, and that daily turnover of products allows her to feature the “hottest trends.”
“I have a constant turnover, so there’s a sense of urgency to make that purchase,” Gale said.
Sugar Chevron’s “very reasonable prices” make it a place where, Gale said, patrons can stop in and buy a fun gift without breaking the bank.
Gale said she hopes Sugar Chevron can bring a different sort of vitality to Northport Village by offering a different selection and catering to a younger crowd. She said the store will be open until 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 p.m. on weekends.
“Even though we have a little bit of a different vibe, the other store owners and the locals have been so great and welcoming – I feel like a family member,” Gale said.
A month into her new role as a storeowner, and Gale said she is having fun “making people happy,” and the best part is, she said with a laugh, “Accessories always fit.”
“Even with the growth of online shopping and Amazon, I find that people still want to touch and feel before they buy,” Gale said. “That’s part of the reason that I opened the store, because it’s a good place for people to do that.”
Gale urged Northport locals and visitors alike to poke their heads into Sugar Chevron and see what is on display.
She said, “The people are so friendly, welcoming and positive, and they tell me how beautiful the store is and how much they like what I’m carrying.”