Bridgeport’s newest fashion retailer, Richual Boutique, brings pizazz to thrift store apparel
When Brittany Rae informed her family and friends that she wanted to open a retail store, the reaction was unanimous.
“Everyone tried to talk me out of it,” she recalled, with a laugh. “I was very discouraged by my own family, who were telling me that brick-and-mortars are phasing out and all of that. But this is my dream ”” I”™ve always dreamed of having a brick-and-mortar.”
In October, Rae”™s dream came true when she opened Richual Boutique in a ground floor store within Bridgeport”™s Arcade Mall. Rae”™s brick-and-mortar store followed three years as an e-commerce thrift store.
“I”™ve been a thrifter since high school,” Rae said. “Even before that, yeah, I used to thrift with my grandmother. It has always been something that I”™m really passionate about.”
Rae”™s approach to thrift shop retailing is to focus on high-quality merchandise that would not look out of place in a pricey department store. She personally acquires her inventory by scouting other thrift and consignment shops, estate sales and e-commerce sites, keeping in mind her shoppers”™ budgets and circumstances.
“My goal is to help people who face adversities,” she explained. “My goal is to make you look good, and I want to create a luxury space for people that can”™t afford that shopping experience. It”™s a thrift shop, but you still get some type of luxury experience as well.”
A Long Island native, Rae moved to Connecticut last March and began looking for a commercial property. She settled on the historic Arcade Mall, built in 1889 and home to independently owned smaller businesses.
“I saw the space and I loved it,” she said. “And even though Covid is going on, I just wanted to jump on the opportunity.”
Rae serves as fashion consultant for her customers, offering both classic items that never go out of style along with a selection of ongoing trends to keep shoppers up-to-date. She sanitizes all items before putting them on the rack and handles whatever repairs might be required before apparel gets a price tag, which ranges between $5 and $20 per item.
“I want to keep everything super affordable,” she said. “If I come across a designer item, I still keep it reasonable. But I would obviously have to raise the price a little bit when it comes to really high-end items.”
Rae”™s selection is mostly aimed at women, although she has a small men”™s clothing selection and she is planning to expand into a children”™s collection and offer artwork for sale.
At the moment, Richual Boutique is open three days a week ”” Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Rae runs the store as a one-woman operation and balances her retail endeavor with part-time work as a case manager in a homeless shelter.
“I went to school for psychology,” she said. “I also have worked for nonprofits since I was 17.”
Rae is promoting Richual Boutique through Facebook and Instagram, along with signs posted in Bridgeport”™s downtown. She has also opened the store to independent vendors who have set up tables to sell beauty supplies and jewelry, noting that these pop-up endeavors “bring in a crowd.”
For the future, Rae envisions opening a second store on the 125th Street shopping district in Harlem. As for her first three months in business, Rae is satisfied with what she has achieved.
“It”™s obviously not as busy as it should be due to Covid,” she said. “But I can”™t complain. I didn”™t think anybody was going to walk in here and I prepared myself for the worst ”” and it turned out a little better than I thought. I”™m doing okay and I”™m thankful for that. I”™m able to sustain this and my other job, so I”™m going to keep it like this as long as possible.”