Featured Business: The Purple Pickle Boutique
Owner/Proprietor: Khristy Stephenson
https://www.facebook.com/ThePurplePickleOB
- 8295 Highway 178, Olive Branch, MS 38654
- (662) 893-2001
- Hours of Operation: Mon-Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
When asked about her special boutique, this is what owner Khristy Stephenson had to say:
I had been in construction my entire life and opened my own construction business in 1997. It was initially very successful, maybe even unusually successful. When the economy took a nasty turn for the worst, hitting construction business particularly hard, I had about 80 employees, 21 trucks and 4 secretaries. We were forced to downsize from more than 40 builders to just 3. One by one we sold our trucks to be able to meet payroll, and one by one we had to let people go until we were down to our original 5 employees. Eventually, we had to let two of them go.
We now have 5 employees, 2 trucks and 3 builders.
Needless to say I was about to lose my building. The business earnings could not cover the overhead expenses, insurance or taxes. My construction company was not bringing in enough profit to save what was left of the company I had opened 13 years prior.
In January 2010, I went to market for the first time and I was overwhelmed. I had never worked in retail, much less been the "boutique" type of shopper. But what I knew was this: everyone has a birthday, many get married and many have babies... and everyone wants that special, one of a kind gift or even just a nice outfit to wear on that special day!
My husband didn't believe in what I wanted to create, and he was inadvertently responsible for the name. My nickname among my family members is Puffer, and he overheard me telling our one remaining secretary that I was going to open a store. Facetiously he said, "Yeah and she's going to name it Puffer's Purple Pickle!" Well, that was a bit of a tongue twister but I loved the name Purple Pickle. So the Purple Pickle it was going to be! I immediately saw the Pickle in my head and it took three graphic artists before someone actually saw my vision too!
The remodeling process began in July 2010. The office space of my warehouse became my boutique. We spent the month before the opening at school events and school fairs, advertising and setting up booths to show people what The Purple Pickle was going to be about. Never once did I bat an eye or worry that it wouldnt work... until the night before the grand opening. I sat straight up in bed and said to my husband, "Johnny, I'm scared! What if nobody comes?"
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| Owner Khristy Stephenson and her husband, John |
The next day, on September 27, 2010, we opened our doors. Except for family members, everyone who came through those doors on that first day were people we had met at school shows. Our customers are the best! Without them, we wouldn't be here and my building would have been lost. Since the day we opened, we have expanded three times and my customers seem to love all the changes. All those tools from my construction business are put to good use on a very regular basis in my boutique. We make almost all of the frames, crosses and furniture in the store. We love to have our customers bring in a picture from a magazine or a sketch they have in their head and say, "Can you do this?" I LOVE A CHALLENGE! We also love local artists and handmade items. We carry the work of several locals in our store.
The Purple Pickle will soon be two years old and I'm still just as excited today as I was on the day we opened.
What kind of boutique is The Purple Pickle? I guess you could say we are your one stop gift shop for clothes, jewelry, purses, home decor and SO MUCH MORE!!!
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| Furniture |
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| Clothing & Accessories |
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| Gifts |
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| Handmade Items |
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