Ava Grace Fashions Expanding
Ava Grace Fashions Expanding
Breathing fresh air into a new location this spring.
Spring is all about refreshing, whether it be your home, workspace or wardrobe, and Ava Grace Fashions is embracing all things renewal this season. Ellicottville has housed Ava Grace for some time now and owner/operator Jessica Gilbert met with me to chat about all things fashion, fun … and expansion!
Gilbert has been living in Ellicottville since 2007 and first started to get to know the local scene here when she managed a boutique downtown. After a few years that owner wanted to move on; Gilbert felt she could do this for herself and voila! Ava Grace Fashions was born. “It all started in the attic of my garage for inventory storage and organization, a Facebook page and a website quickly after.” After being in the world of storefront retail and missing that direct connection to the public, Gilbert started looking for a location downtown again.
“We started at 10 Washington Street but it was small, had stairs and no ground level storefront windows, so it didn't lend itself to retail in the best ways,” Gilbert elaborated … but it was a start nonetheless. When Earth Arts closed with the retirement of the owner, Ava Grace Fashions had her next shot at expansion. The store moved to 24 Washington Street which allowed Gilbert to add more product lines. She could finally add denim and shoes to her boutique offering. Amidst remarkable growth with the corner store location, a curveball was thrown her way when the building was purchased by new owners.
“It opened up opportunities for change once again … Do we lease? Again? Do we go 100% online only and close to the public? Or do we find a building to buy?” All these questions were mulled over and over by Gilbert. Knowing she would miss her in-person customers, moving to 100% online was knocked off the list quickly. Lease options were available, but not ideal. This led Gilbert to the final option: look for a place to buy.
“I am so excited to purchase my own location!” she announced. “23 Jefferson Street is a short 3-minute walk from our current location!”
Ava Grace Fashions will yet again have more space to grow into. There will be room to more efficiently pack and ship online orders. The porch and large yard lends itself beautifully for outdoor events as the world reopens. “We will have our own parking, which our repeat customers are so excited for.”
There is also space upstairs that Gilbert has been daydreaming about converting into any number of spaces. “It would be great to rent that out to another business that could also thrive in Ellicottville and possibly fill in a hole in amenities or services not currently available.”
We will just have to wait and see what Gilbert has up her sleeve.
Ava Grace Fashions has a very consistent social media presence and this is, oh, so important to both in-person and online shoppers. “I can post a picture of a shirt and then see the sales of that item via both sales channels,” explained Gilbert. “Someone came in just today and said to me, ‘where is that sweatshirt from your Instagram post?’”
Gilbert can also monitor the online and shipped orders to see how quickly a post increases sales. “Visitors to Ellicottville connect with us so that we can mail unique, fun pieces of Ellicottville to them even when they cannot be here all the time. It also allows local shoppers to stay on top of what is new.”
Despite a pandemic, Ava Grace Fashions found ways to innovate and grow with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “We added a whole section of masks, mask sprays, sanitizers and mask lanyards, and hands-free keychains as quickly as we found them. We just added a fun line that many people may be familiar with, Poo~Pourri.” Gilbert also expanded the shop’s bralette selection in a beautiful way. “With more room, we are stocking more colors of favorite styles.” Farther out in the future, Gilbert is looking at a few options such as adding more children's items. “We are working out details to be able to print our own graphic tees and other print products in-house.” This will allow Gilbert to control her supply chain. “All too often we sell out of a product then go to get more and they are no longer available.”
With the past year it sure is heartwarming to hear about small businesses that have found ways to not only survive but see remarkable growth. Gilbert’s favorite thing about owning a retail clothing shop: “Playing dress-up for a living isn’t so bad,” she said with a smile. But in reality her favorite is working with her employees and customers. “I love seeing my employees grow as people. The customers that come through are the best. Knowing that you are helping someone shop for an upcoming event or making their everyday better because they are comfortable and confident in a new outfit feels great!”
Gilbert has found ways to grow despite all of the changes her business has faced, and I for one, cannot wait to see what the future holds for her in the new location! Follow Ava Grace Fashions on social (FB/IG @avagracefashions / Pinterest @avagracefashion) to keep up with the construction process and official move date. Shop online at avagracefashions.com or call the store at 716-699-1105. Leaving you with the final thought Gilbert left me with: “If we can help more women go from surviving to thriving, we have done our jobs!”