Home-Grown Business Now Reaching New Heights

Home-Grown Business Now Reaching New Heights
Home Grown

OCEAN PINES — In only a year, Bomshell Boutique in Ocean Pines has gone from a home business to a bustling store on Route 589.
The boutique offers a “personal” shopping experience unlike big box stores, said owner Gina March, while keeping prices affordable.
“We like to have the personal shopping experience, which you don’t get at an outlet store and you don’t get at a department store,” March said.
The personal appeal is something that has been carried over from when March operated Bomshell from her home, relying on word of mouth and social media to draw attention to the business. Starting with a Facebook page last summer, March envisioning building a shopping experience that would involve a few, specifically selected women’s clothing lines, a limited stock and a friendly atmosphere.
By February, Bomshell had outgrown March’s house, prompting her to move into a comfortable space in the Taylorville Shopping Center on Route 589.
“I think there are definitely advantages to being on Route 589. I have girls that come from Salisbury and I have girls that come from Delaware … they like the convenience,” she said. “I feel like girls can stop here on the way home from work.”
All of the clothing at Bomshell is handpicked by March and has a high turnover rate, with new items added regularly. Stock for each item is purposefully kept low so that when a customer buys something from the boutique “they feel that it is something special,” March explained.
As much care is given to the customers as the clothing with March promising that even a quick stop has resulted in visitors becoming regulars. Because happy customers are a “walking advertisement” for Bomshell, March makes certain that people don’t leave the store with any items they aren’t completely enamored with.
The transition from home to store has been smooth for Bomshell, and she has not ruled further expansion in the next few years. It’s all about making people aware of the boutique, said March, a job that she is tackling through several avenues. Social media especially has been a useful tool, with Bomshell Boutique’s Facebook page collecting nearly 26,000 likes in its first year.
The store also has a website, www.bomshellboutique.com, and does a brisk online business. However, according to March, the best way to get the full Bomshell experience is to visit the store. While she is considering opening one or two more locations eventually, March was adamant that Bomshell will never become a franchise and will always keep that personal touch.