The boutique shopping experience is difficult to mirror in an e-commerce setting, simply because many boutique owners don’t have the resources to run both a brick-and-mortar and a neatly designed online store. But now, with Boutikey, these small-scale stores will have a fighting chance in the competitive world of online retail.
The Boston-based shopping app (launched in February of this year) that locates boutiques in an Instagram-like format, as well as finds existing sales and curates exclusive deals for these shops, has launched its full e-commerce site. The Boutikey website currently features collections from five local boutiques, which you can shop and purchase directly on the site, instead of having to hop around the web and navigate boutique websites, which don’t always effectively reflect what’s in store.
The initial launch of the Boutikey site features looks curated from items found in local boutiques Ku De Ta, Pretty Reckless, Haven, Heart and Sole and Vamped. These stores all have functioning websites, but now, shoppers can browse their best collections all in one place, without having to click around from site to site (or run around from neighborhood to neighborhood). Boutikey shoppers can choose to filter items by boutique, type or curated collection, like the current ‘End of Summer.’
Boutikey is working to bring on more Boston stores to its e-commerce site, and the company also aims to eventually incorporate collections from boutiques in every major city. This will create a community of boutiques from all over the country that would otherwise be difficult for everyone to access, with the spread of items co-existing all in one place. The online Boutikey store will also feature exclusive deals on the items from these stores.
Of the e-commerce launch, Boutikey CEO and Founder Tiana Haraguchi said in the official release: “Our goal is to make Boutikey a one-stop shopping destination for consumers by combining cutting-edge clothing and accessories from local fashion boutiques with the convenience of shopping online.” She adds that Boutikey’s blanket marketplace will provide a way for small boutiques to compete against online retailers, by “helping them to reach a broader audience without the hassle and cost of managing their own digital system.”
Boutikey also helps eliminate the amount of excess clothing in stockrooms that is never stored, and therefore, wasted. By providing an alternative outlet for items off of the shelves, Boutikey is granting a separate service to boutiques in addition to pushing online sales.
Shop Boutikey’s current collections – including ‘End of Summer‘ and ‘What’s Hot‘ – online now, and stay tuned for more items available to shop from new boutiques.
Screengrab via Boutikey
