‘We’re big on community over competition.’ Two boutiques open, partner up in Bonaire

After opening on April 8 at the little shopping center at 89 Sandy Run Road in Bonaire, the owner of Dolly James Boutique received a phone call from the manager of the retail space.

The manager told Melissa Thomas that she was looking at adding another boutique to the shopping center.

“She told me who it was, and I was like, ‘Absolutely, bring her over here,’ because I immediately felt like we’re going to help each other,” Thomas said. “We don’t see each other as competition.”

Brittany Edwards opened Britique Boutique at the location in September, and the two business owners have joined forces to promote each other’s businesses.

“The foot traffic here is amazing,” Thomas said. “We have entirely different customer bases, and so, her customers didn’t know that I existed and vice versa.”

Edwards said both owners send customers to each other’s stores, and having two boutiques so close to each other is very convenient for their customers.

“When girls go shopping, like boutique shopping, it’s more like boutique hopping. They’re not gonna go to just one. They’re going to spend the day boutique shopping and going to more than one,” she said.

The two boutiques have very different styles. Britique Boutique has a variety of options for special occasions.

“I just like dressing up,” Edwards said. “If you have an event or a shower or a wedding or a birthday or you’re going to a concert or you just love sparkles, I’m your girl.”

Dolly James Boutique has more casual wear.

“It’s more laid back, your everyday casual wear,” Thomas said. “We try to get things in here that you can wear also to weddings and showers and events. So yeah, we cater more to everyday casual.”

The owners are already planning joint events between the boutiques in the coming months, such as Pink Friday, Black Friday and Christmas open houses. Details can be found on their Facebook pages.

If any other boutiques in the area want to collaborate with them, Edwards said they are open to collaborate with other businesses as well.

‘I’m obsessed with shopping.’

Edwards, who was born and raised in Middle Georgia, has been in retail for 10 years. She started selling clothes online, and she works as a sales representative for other boutiques in the Middle Georgia area.

“I’m obsessed with shopping,” she said. “I could go to the mall and spend the entire day at a mall and not even buy anything, and I’m the happiest girl in the world.”

Britique is the first store she has owned by herself. She was previously the co-owner of Breezy Rain Boutique.

“It’s literally been my dream my whole life. I don’t feel like this is a job at all,” she said.

She employs five people at Britique, and she said she is always accepting resume. Her goal is to eventually open a shopping center.

“I love it when people let me dress them up, and they just listen to me and let me put something on them that they wouldn’t normally wear. It’s the best feeling when they love it,” she said.

Behind the name

Thomas, from Warner Robins, started Dolly James Boutique with her mother on Facebook around five years ago. They originally sold children’s clothes, but realized it wasn’t as lucrative as selling women’s clothing.

They opened their first storefront on Watson Boulevard. Then, they moved over to Lake Joy Road before opening their current location at 89 Sandy Run Road.

“We’ve got to create our own space here. It’s a brand new spot,” she said.

Starting a business with her mother has made their relationship stronger, she said.

“It’s not just about business. It’s about our families,” she said.

The name, Dolly James, is a combination of Thomas’ grandmother’s and grandfather’s names.

Although Thomas lives in Newnan, her mother, who still lives in Warner Robins, helps her manage the storefront. Thomas travels once or twice a week to the store, she said.

She currently employs five people, but just like Edwards, she is always accepting resumes, she said.

Her goal is to venture out with her business and grow her online presence with a website, she said.

“We’re big on community over competition, and we hope this reaches more people in the Middle Georgia area and brings in more customers,” she said.

This story was originally published November 6, 2023 at 11:17 AM.