Businesses prosper, do the Village shuffle; Location changes galore

Exciting changes are taking place in the downtown shopping district. Ooh La La lingerie boutique is in the process of moving from their 217 N. Main Ave location to just around the Main and Hawthorn corner behind Jasmine Rose Boutique’s new location at 127 N. Main. Sweet Leilani’s is moving from 109 N. Main to 129 E. Mission Road (formerly Old Grove Co). Sweet Leilani’s will open their Island Flavors restaurant in the new location, featuring Pacific Island and Caribbean barbeque in addition to traditional American barbeque. They will operate their popular 3-year old catering business out of the new location as well.

Leslie Sommers, owner of Caravan ladies clothing boutique (inside Jackson Square) is excited to announce her impending move to the old Sweet Leilani’s (formerly Chubby Chix) location at 109 N. Main Ave.

Sommers, a fun-loving spirit who has propelled herself to tremendous success in this retail endeavor, exudes joy at the prospect of expanding her business that she opened in June of 2004.

“I have a constant stream of customers all day long,” Sommers said. “I think I’m the busiest store in town. I’m afraid sometimes that I am so busy that people don’t come in. The expansion will be great!”

Caravan’s colorful array of blouses, skirts, jackets, jewelry, purses and more easily catch the shopper’s eye, but is Sommers’ effervescent personality that keeps them coming back.

“I’m fun; the clothing is fun; and the people who shop here are fun;” Sommers summarizes. “I believe that clothing has got to be easy to wear, care for and be price competitive.”

It frequently happens in the current small store (170 square feet) that shoppers have to move accordingly in a certain traffic flow pattern to gain access to all the merchandise. The new store (975 square feet) will certainly bring more browsing space and the welcome opportunity for increased inventory.

Sommers said one thing she intends to bring in is some lines of beautiful, plain organic cotton tops and pants.

“I like to carry interesting things in small amounts, that way my customers don’t see the same thing they buy on several other people,” Sommers said.

In her new location, Sommers says she hopes to make room for a small area of men’s clothing – which many customers have requested.

“Personally, I think we are really coming alive on Main,” she smiled.