AMBRIDGE — Normally you’d click a computer mouse, or tap away at your smart phone, to browse and buy clothes from the Colemans Kendall Leigh Boutique.
But this Saturday, the successful online retailer will try its first brick-and-mortar sale inside its warehouse in Ambridge.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Colemans Kendall Leigh Boutique distribution center, at 1194 Merchant St., will have its doors open for shoppers to check out racks and racks of women’s clothing, ready to be purchased on-site, just in time for the holidays.
Unlike online shopping, potential customers can try the clothes on for size in a seasonally decorated fitting room.
“We have everything from holiday wear to casual wear and work wear,” Kendall Coleman, co-owner of the business with husband, Andrew Coleman, said. “We sell amazing jeans you can only find online that I know a lot of people have been wanting to try on. So that will be big. We’ll have racks of jeans. We have makeup junkie bags that are really popular, and different accessories and slippers. Dresses and sparkles and leopard and everything. Definitely on-trend, contemporary women’s clothing.”
There’s an emphasis on affordability, too, with no item costing more than $100. Some recent sales on the website include a sweater tunic for $24, a leopard print beanie for $24 and a lace sleeve sweatshirt tunic for $42.
Saturday’ special “Warehouse Sale” will be repeated at the Merchant Street warehouse on two more dates, Dec. 21 and Jan. 18, also between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
All three on-site sales are free to the public, but an RSVP is requested by visiting shopkendallleigh.com or the Colemans Kendall Leigh Boutique on Facebook.
Opened in 2016, the boutique initially sold LuLaRoe clothing exclusively, but then the Colemans branched out as an independent boutique selling clothing from a wide variety of designers for women of all sizes.
They never tried an on-site sale “so this is exciting for us. and hopefully for our online shoppers and locals,” Kendall said.
The Edgeworth couple, who have four daughters and one son, decided to open their warehouse to make the boutique more accessible to all, and also to give regular shoppers a close-up glimpse of the whole Ambridge operation.
“This is our online headquarters where we fulfill our online orders,” Andrew Coleman said. “We receive all our inventory here, we make sales online. This is where we do our packing and shipping. And with these events we’re hosting, it’s kind of a behind-the-scenes welcome into the warehouse to see what goes on behind the curtain. So, a really unique look for our local customers.”
Though even from its domain in the digital realm, the boutique has found fresh ways to personalize the shopping experience for customers, such as an interactive Facebook group, a Kendall Leigh app, and live online sales filmed at the Ambridge site.
“We do fit videos, so something different that no other store has,” Kendall said. “For each item I’m explaining the fit and showing the material and telling them what size I think that I wear and that they should wear if it runs big. A detailed explanation that people can’t get online.”
But come Saturday, the old-fashioned, try-it-on-then-look-in-the-mirror method will be available.
“It will be a true blessing to provide that personal shopping experience in person to everyone who walks through the door,” Kendall said.
