Magnolias & Minis Welcomed with a Ribbon Cutting
The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff welcomed a new clothing boutique, Magnolias & Minis, with new owner, Kassie Schwartz to Wells County with a ribbon cutting on July 31, 2020. Magnolias & Minis Clothing Boutique is located at 613 N Main Street in Bluffton.
Schwartz stated that she has always loved clothing and enjoys dressing people to look their best. Friends and family would borrow her clothing and always asked her opinion about the style. “This has always been a hobby of mine since high school.”
Schwartz said that when their family was traveling to Tennessee, they stopped at clothing boutiques along the way. “I love to shop and the styles boutiques had to offer; however, it was costing a lot of money. I looked into a wholesale license to save some money but had to order in large quantity and then had a lot of extra clothing to sell.”
The idea of going online and selling the extra stock launched a business for Schwartz who has been selling out of her home for the past year and a half. “I was doing very well, and the plan was to actually open a storefront by 2022,” explained Schwartz.
“My husband, Leander, surprised me when he bought the building in February to open the business,” said Schwartz. “We completely gutted the building and remodeled everything. We moved walls, added flooring, re-wired, added new windows, remodeled the store front, and sealed and striped the parking lot.”
Opening the business has also helped Schwartz deal with anxiety and depression. “Meeting people and helping customers to feel good about what they are wearing or having conversations with these individuals has helped me deal,” Schwartz explained. “The business has forced me to talk to people, focus on giving back and cope with this illness.”
Schwartz wants people to know that children are welcome to come in. Having four children herself, she said taking them shopping can be difficult; therefore, a kid’s room was added to keep them busy while the ladies can shop.
Clothing you will find at Magnolias & Minis will be dressy-casual and ones that can be mixed and matched. “I don’t want clothing to look cheap but want it to be affordable. I have certain brands I like and stay away from those that will fall apart,” Schwartz said.
Magnolias & Minis sells tops, jeans, skirts, shoes, dresses, jewelry, accessories, baby items, men’s beard oils and men’s hair care. Sizes range from small to 3X. Girls baby clothing are sized from six months to 13 years. Occasionally Schwartz will sell boys graphic tees or baby outfits.
Although Magnolias & Minis has been at the storefront for two weeks, Schwartz said her overall goal for this business is to help the community and provide outreach programs. “I am trying to figure out exactly what that looks like as I get established, but we want to give back. We currently donate to a lot of people and organizations and want to continue to do so.”
“I want to thank our customers for their support because without them, I wouldn’t be at this location today. I also want to thank my husband for supporting my dreams and being supportive in every step,” Schwartz concluded.
Pictured in the photo left to right are the Schwartz family:
Alex Schwartz; Ella Schwartz, Mason Schwartz; Leander Schwartz; Kassie Schwartz; and Morgan Schwartz