Community Corner
"Polished" To Celebrate First Anniversary
Have you been to the clothing and accessories boutique that will leave you feeling "Polished" in Branford? They are celebrating one year in business Sept. 28.
Patch spoke to Lisa Feniola, owner of Polished Boutique in Branford, about her one-year-old business, what they are doing for their anniversary, and what makes running a business in town so special.
Q: What's Polished Boutique all about and what sets it apart from other like-minded stores.
Q: What's Polished Boutique all about and what sets it apart from other like-minded stores.
Polished Boutique is a young, feminine clothing and accessory boutique located right on Main Street in the charming downtown shopping center of Branford.
Polished is more than a storefront or a website- it’s an honest, friendly, and personal shopping experience. Owned and operated by Mother-Daughter team, Anna and Lisa Feniola. Polished was made to be an “all-in-one” place to find your fun, feminine, trendy fashion and collection of girlie things. Most importantly, the price point is affordable for today's young contemporary woman!
Whether you need a Saturday night outfit, looking to spot the latest trends, buying a gift for your best friend, or shopping for dresses for a last minute affair... we're sure to have something in your price range that you'll love.
Find out what's happening in Branfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Qa: What has changed in your business since you first opened it a year ago?
The biggest change we have made is featuring our website on Shoptiques.com. Partnering with Shoptiques has given us exposure to people who love to boutique shop around the world. It's also allowed us to provide better quality pictures on our website, and even offer a great feature where customers can shop our live feed right from Instagram as we post new arrivals. Just look for the #shoptiqueslivefeed hashtag and you'll know it's shoppable.
We are members of the Branford Chamber of Commerce and have partnered with other businesses in community events to take our merchandise on the road for special promotion. We are trying to be involved in as much as possibly manageable.
Also, students at Branford High School can expect to see a special discount from us on their Honors and High Honors card this year! We are really excited about that.
Q: What are you doing to celebrate one year in business?
We are having a Birthday Party! Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10am-5p. We have Action DJ Entertainment and treats for our guests, but most importantly a discount of 20% off all new Fall arrivals and a special party bag to the first 25 customers!
We also have a few other fun surprises throughout the day, should be a great day! We're looking forward to celebrating with everyone who helped us get to this point.
Q: What's your background? How did opening your store come about? Do you have any partners?
I lived in Branford up until I graduated High School in 2003. I graduated from Lasell College in Newton, Mass. with a Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Retail and Merchandising. While there, I studied in London for a semester.
I managed a few retail stores in the corporate world then my mother and I took a leap of faith and started shoppolished.com in November of 2011. We'd considered opening a brick and mortar down the road but never realized how soon it would be when we visited the vacant space on Main St, #1122.
I honestly felt like it was fate, since my birthday is 11/22. We couldn't let this opportunity pass us by- we signed a lease and here we are today!
Q: Why did you want to open your business in Branford?
My parents owned businesses in Branford for years, I think it's nice that now I can say I am apart of that.
Growing up, I always went to the Milford mall or TJMaxx to shop because I could never afford the boutiques in town. I was always into fashion and envisioned that I'd open something one day that was more affordable and targeted to the young women in town.
Owning a business in the town I grew up in is just amazing, it's a great sense of satisfaction to be right where you started. We have great support from the people we know here in town and we're having a great time building relationships with those we don't!
Q: What do you anticipate to be the most popular item in your store?
We have really became known for our dresses. We always have a variety - summer, casual, cocktail, formal... Something for all occasions. We are excited to have become a shopping destination for dresses, especially for last minute buyers, who are successful at finding a style they love. Dresses have been most requested year round, so we are confident in saying we will continue to offer them as we are.
We also did very well with our sweaters and expect to have another good season this Fall/Winter with many styles. We're always taking into consideration what our customer is asking for. Please feel free to leave us feedback of what you love and would like to see us carry!
Polished Boutique
1122 Main Street, Branford
Phone: 203-481-0888
Website: www.shoppolished.com
Hours: Sun - Closed; Mon 12-6; Tues-Fri 11-6; Sat 10-5
Please find and follow us:https://www.facebook.com/shoppolishedboutique https://twitter.com/ShopPolished https://pinterest.com/shoppolished/ http://instagram.com/shoppolished
The biggest change we have made is featuring our website on Shoptiques.com. Partnering with Shoptiques has given us exposure to people who love to boutique shop around the world. It's also allowed us to provide better quality pictures on our website, and even offer a great feature where customers can shop our live feed right from Instagram as we post new arrivals. Just look for the #shoptiqueslivefeed hashtag and you'll know it's shoppable.
We are members of the Branford Chamber of Commerce and have partnered with other businesses in community events to take our merchandise on the road for special promotion. We are trying to be involved in as much as possibly manageable.
Also, students at Branford High School can expect to see a special discount from us on their Honors and High Honors card this year! We are really excited about that.
Q: What are you doing to celebrate one year in business?
We are having a Birthday Party! Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10am-5p. We have Action DJ Entertainment and treats for our guests, but most importantly a discount of 20% off all new Fall arrivals and a special party bag to the first 25 customers!
We also have a few other fun surprises throughout the day, should be a great day! We're looking forward to celebrating with everyone who helped us get to this point.
Q: What's your background? How did opening your store come about? Do you have any partners?
I lived in Branford up until I graduated High School in 2003. I graduated from Lasell College in Newton, Mass. with a Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Retail and Merchandising. While there, I studied in London for a semester.
I managed a few retail stores in the corporate world then my mother and I took a leap of faith and started shoppolished.com in November of 2011. We'd considered opening a brick and mortar down the road but never realized how soon it would be when we visited the vacant space on Main St, #1122.
I honestly felt like it was fate, since my birthday is 11/22. We couldn't let this opportunity pass us by- we signed a lease and here we are today!
Q: Why did you want to open your business in Branford?
My parents owned businesses in Branford for years, I think it's nice that now I can say I am apart of that.
Growing up, I always went to the Milford mall or TJMaxx to shop because I could never afford the boutiques in town. I was always into fashion and envisioned that I'd open something one day that was more affordable and targeted to the young women in town.
Owning a business in the town I grew up in is just amazing, it's a great sense of satisfaction to be right where you started. We have great support from the people we know here in town and we're having a great time building relationships with those we don't!
Q: What do you anticipate to be the most popular item in your store?
We have really became known for our dresses. We always have a variety - summer, casual, cocktail, formal... Something for all occasions. We are excited to have become a shopping destination for dresses, especially for last minute buyers, who are successful at finding a style they love. Dresses have been most requested year round, so we are confident in saying we will continue to offer them as we are.
We also did very well with our sweaters and expect to have another good season this Fall/Winter with many styles. We're always taking into consideration what our customer is asking for. Please feel free to leave us feedback of what you love and would like to see us carry!
Polished Boutique
1122 Main Street, Branford
Phone: 203-481-0888
Website: www.shoppolished.com
Hours: Sun - Closed; Mon 12-6; Tues-Fri 11-6; Sat 10-5
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