Monkee’s, a Neighborhood Boutique Reports Record Growth Rate

Retail Franchise Rebounds from Pandemic Challenges with Four New Boutiques and Outperforms 2019 Sale Numbers

July 20, 2021 // Franchising.com // WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – On the heels of a challenging year, one in which the company impressively navigated through the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, Monkee’s rebound has sprung them into outpacing their Q1 & Q2 2019 comparable store sales by 16%, and all store sales by 55%.

With four new locations that opened this Spring, these stores have paved the way by breaking the networks record sales growth within the first 30 days.

Following the outstanding return in the first half of 2021, Monkee’s now boasts 29 U.S. boutiques across eleven states.

“To see this significant amount of growth acceleration is a testament to the perseverance and adjustments that were made last year to best position our franchisees for recovery,” said Andrea Rice, Monkee’s VP of Operations. “The franchise owners are seeing the fruits of their labor with e-commerce capabilities, social media promotion, and a library of marketing resources available to drive sales.”

While the in-store experience remains a welcome respite for avid shoppers, franchisees were able to implement shopping through social media platforms and personalized websites to ensure they were meeting customers’ changing needs. These omnichannel initiatives, including curbside pickup and local delivery are an extension of the current in-store boutique shopping model; continuing to provide women with a convenient and safe way to shop. As a result, some Monkee’s stores are attributing 30% of their total sales to ecommerce.

For example, Lindsay Cunningham, owner and operator of Monkee’s in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, launched an e-commerce site amidst the pandemic to offer her customers a way to shop without coming into stores. Her team posts daily updates on Instagram to notify devoted customers about the arrival of new shoes, clothing and accessories. These tactics added to the expanded shopping model offered to Monkee’s customers at the outset of the pandemic, and this further highlights the multiple innovations Monkee’s continues to implement across the franchise.

Monkee’s resilient business model is designed with the future of retail in mind, having both the in-store experience and online offering to better serve shoppers.

“Being a neighborhood boutique allows each owner to be a staple in the community they serve,” said Rice. “From the assortment of beautiful merchandise, to the design of the store, we encourage franchisees to tailor their boutiques to match the needs of their customers. We’re a local lifestyle brand that is known for cultivating a customized shopping experience.”