Lash opens inside 17 Street Home Design

Tough economic times call for diversification, and local business owner Jody Anderson has done so by adding a boutique called Lash to her home furnishings store at 1995 Old West Main St.

Lash opened in September of 2009 inside 17 Street Home Design and caters to women in their late 20s through 40s, Anderson said.

"It's a younger look, a very contemporary line of clothing," Anderson described.

"It's pretty unique to Red Wing," Anderson added. "Women that buy what I provide are shopping online, they're driving to Minneapolis so, if we can keep them here and buy local, it's a win-win."

Anderson says the name comes from her infatuation with long eyelashes

"I love them," Anderson said. "I love the word. It's very feminine and strong and just felt like a really cool women's boutique so I just went with it."

So far, the addition has been a success.

"A lot of business is certainly coming from that part of the store," Anderson said, adding that she might eventually be able to have the store open Tuesdays as well as Wednesday through Saturday.

"Even in tough times women will shop for a new pair of earrings, a new pair of jeans, something to wear that weekend," Anderson said.

Of the 5,000 square feet inside 17 Street Home Design, Lash takes up about 1,500 square feet.

"We do have plans to continue to grow that space," she said. "It's already been that good that we should double it. But as a business owner - and a careful one - I tend to grow that slowly.

"With just four months behind me I don't want to double or triple that business," Anderson added. "Even for spring and summer I will be close to doubling the inventory that I had within six months, so it's exciting."

Anderson says she decided to add Lash because the home furnishings business is "very up and down."

"I was really looking for something I thought would bring more daily traffic, and the fashion industry moves much faster than the furniture industry," she said.

"Clothing comes out every four to six weeks. People will buy multiple shirts, multiple hats. They buy one sofa and keep that sofa 15-20 years, so it's another layer of business and it doesn't take away from home, so I wasn't gaining on one to lose the other."

Lash's inventory consists primarily of tops, rather than pants.

Although she has had lots of requests, Anderson has not yet set up a Web site for Lash. The business does, however, have a page on the social networking site Facebook.

Storefront hours are the same as 17 Street Home Design: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Tags: business news, business