Towne Boutique: Where Shopping Is Guilt Free

Sally Ann Russo opened Towne Boutique in Huntington village with the goal to create affordable luxury and guilt-free shopping for customers. Long Islander News photos/Janee Law

By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com
 
The owner of Towne Boutique has set out to provide a stress-free shopping experience for Huntington village patrons. Sally Ann Russo has also set out to make the experience guilt free with luxury women’s clothing and accessories priced affordably.

“I wanted to create a boutique that felt and looked expensive but wasn’t,” Russo, 52, of Manhattan, said.

Having worked with many brands in the retail business for 30 years, Russo has taken on several roles, such as owner, buyer and merchandiser.

“Anything you saw in Saks Fifth Avenue or Bloomingdales, I had in my stores and it was very expensive. You had to have money to shop and I was over that,” she said. “So I created this all private labeled store that looks like what you’d find in Saks and Bloomingdales, but without that hefty price tag.”

Russo opened up the 1,200-square-foot storefront at 255 Main St. in Huntington village a few days after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. She went on to open a second location in Brooklyn in 2014.

Russo said she buys merchandise directly from manufacturers and has her own private label. With her experience, Russo said, she knows where to get good merchandise at the right price when she visits Los Angeles-based markets five times a year.

“Every garment in the whole store has the ‘Towne’ label,” she said. “We’ve created a brand and we’re building a brand.”

Products priced under $100 that are offered at Towne include dresses, jeans, tops, jewelry, shoes, boots, hand bags, gloves and winter hats. The store also offers plus sizes and year-round gift-wrapping.

“When we first opened, people were a little reluctant to come in, they were a little bit intimidated thinking that it was another expensive store in Huntington,” Russo said. “When they finally started coming in, they would see the prices and see the items and realized how great it was and they kept coming back for those reasons.”

Russo said her store is inline with others like Zara, H&M and Forever 21, where customers can get contemporary fashion at an affordable price.

“That’s what people are drawn to, fashion at a great price,” she added. “And because of its private label, there are a lot of pieces here that you’ll never see anywhere else. You’re getting a unique garment.”

What makes her store stand out is the capability to offer customers personal assistance, she said.

“I love working with customers. I love helping women get dressed, look good, and feel good about themselves,” Russo said. “A lot of women know what looks good on them and they know what’s in style but a lot of women aren’t and they need that one-on-one personal shopping experience.”

Members of her family, who are Huntington residents, also work at the store, Russo said, adding that customers enjoy the family orientated atmosphere Towne provides.

Towne finds success through its Instagram and Facebook pages (@TowneBoutique). Russo said on several occasions, customers would come into the store looking for an item that was posted on these platforms.

Customers hailing from Westchester or New Jersey often make purchases over the phone when they find an item through the social media pages. The purchase is then shipped out to the buyer.

As the store continues to grow, Russo said she plans on opening more stores in the upcoming years. “We’re always looking for our next space,” she said.