On Friday, Kelly Sigg opened a second women’s clothing store, this time in Pittsburg.
Several things play in her favor:
* A slight, 2.3 percent, but steady growth in population over the past 10 years. Today, Pittsburg’s population is 20,400;
* Likewise, enrollment at Pittsburg State University continues to grow. Today’s student population is bumping 7,500, up almost 10 percent over the last 10 years;
* Pittsburg’s main drag, Broadway, is attracting more restaurants, boutiques and unique businesses because of a downtown revitalization. The trees placed along sidewalks are almost high enough now to provide shade, and are certainly of a height to enhance the look of the wide avenue.
* With PSU a short distance away, downtown Pittsburg has worked hard to make it a natural destination for students, much like Lawrence.
Of course what is going to either make or break Sigg’s new venture, also named Audacious Boutique, is what has kept the doors open to her Iola store: Good customer service.
Sigg is a master of knowing her clientele and seeing they are satisfied. She’s also not afraid to embrace change and take chances.
Looking to expand her customer base, Sigg tried marketing over a website late last year. Instead, she found its management labor-intensive and a venue that required skills she did not own.
So she went back to what she knows, Facebook promotions, advertising in local media, and creating a fun shopping experience.
Successful merchants learn in short order that sales result from more than just having a store full of desirable items and includes aggressive marketing.
Sigg, 54, embodies the key word in her store, Audacious.
A survivor of stomach cancer, she’s a wisp of a woman who doesn’t take tomorrow for granted. She walks her talk, embracing fashion with such joy that it’s a stretch to imagine her looking anything but radiant.
EVEN IF her Pittsburg store is a wild success, Sigg is adamant she’ll remain loyal to her hometown store.
Business has been “OK,” she said of Iola, but the closing of U.S. 54 to the west has been felt by downtown merchants. Since early spring the U.S. 54 detour has rerouted traffic to Chanute, depriving merchants of an otherwise constant stream of customers.
Here’s to wishing Sigg success in her new venture, but also that her Iola store stands strong.
