NEWS
Jezebel's Lingerie featured in Body Magazine:
Women of All Ages Flock to Jezebel's of Pennsylvania.
Patty Stover had dreams of opening her own store, so when her daughter
Jessie was old enough to be her partner, she decided to go for it.
The mother/daughter team opened the doors to their very own lingerie
shop, Jezebel's Boutique, in State College, Pennsylvania in June 2007 at
1,334-square-feet.
"Having Jessie as a partner was the push I needed to branch out on my
own," Stover said. "We just love it. Both of us had plenty of retail
experience in other areas but neither of us knew how rewarding this
business could be."
Although Stover's retail background was mostly as buyer and bookkeeper
for a local ski shop, her daughter and her chose lingerie and bra
fitting because the closest shop specializing in large cups and proper
fitting was several hours away. But instead of simply catering to the
needs of full-figured women larger than a DD, Stover stocked her store
with bra sizes 28AA to 44M, since smaller-than-average women tend to
have a hard time finding their size as well. The Stovers combine their
"very different tastes" in their buying for the store, usually only
purchasing merchandise that they both love.
Typical customers are either on the smaller-sized end of the cup-size
spectrum, from AA to A, or are full-figured yet regular-sized women of
the 34D to 36G range. The shop's entire staff of five is trained in bra
fitting, and employees try to fit every woman before she buys a bra.
They also educate customers on how their bras should fit so that
regulars can come in, choose their correct size and head straight to the
fitting room.
Bras range in price from $26 to $90, and panties come as low as $15 for a
pack of three. Since they are located across the street from
Pennsylvania State University, clientele includes college students,
student's parents, professors and local women of all ages shopping for
themselves as well as for wedding gifts and showers since the store
carries a wide range of bridal lingerie. Men also drop by to shop for
their girlfriends and wives since the store keeps a detailed record of
their customers' sizes and favorite brands and styles on file.
Most-requested brands are Panache and Hanky Panky and Wacoal. The shop
also recently added Wacoal's b.tempt'd brand, and according to Stover
"the younger girls love it!" They also carry Chantelle, Betsey Johnson,
Elle MacPherson, Fayreform, Fantasie, Felina, Goddess and Le Mystére.
Consistently popular styles include Hanky Panky thongs for $18, Spanx
power panties for $30, bridal lingerie and nursing bras. The average
customer spends $45 to $80 on a bra and $12 to $24 on panties, and a
total of $100 per visit since Jezebel's also complements their lingerie
selection with lower-priced pampering items like candles, bubble bath,
stockings, cosmetics and handbags. There are also regulars, mostly women
in their 40's and 50's, who spend between $200 and $300 a visit, and
college students who run in for an $18 thong.
Although most women come in looking for a basic T-shirt bra, according
to Stover they often also leave with a lacy bra and a few panties in
tow.
"Many women that need larger cup sizes don't realize until they come in
[to our store] that they can have pretty bras also,? Stover said.
According to her, Jezebel's charm lies not only in their whooping range
of sizes but the fact that they cater to women of all ages. She
describes the store's layout as "bright, cheerful and fun," so that
women feel comfortable stepping inside, adding that it is "feminine
without being too intimidating for men to come in."
"Most of our customers say they love the atmosphere here. Some of our
regulars come in every few days just to catch up and see the new things
we've gotten in," she said.
Although another bra-fitting shop has opened in a town nearby, according
to Stover their business continues to increase, which she attributes to
their size range and excellent customer service. Particularly in the
current tough economic climate, she pays attention to which styles are
selling, and which are gathering dust on the shelves. Since comfortable
sleepwear is not a top-seller, Stover is phasing it out to make room for
more of her popular brands bras.
Jezebel's has also amped-up their advertising to combat the poor economy
through local newspapers and magazines like the Centre Daily Times, and
Town and Gown magazine. But the store's most successful advertising
campaign has been their billboard, which out-of-towners see when they
come in droves for the Penn State football games.
All in all, Stover describes opening Jezebel's as "the best thing I have
ever done." She is also glad to pass store ownership along to her
daughter when she retires.
"Being able to help women feel better about themselves while also
teaching them their bra should fit is an incredible experience,? she
commented.
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