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Colorado clothing boutique shifts business model during coronavirus-related closure

Posted at 3:29 PM, Apr 07, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-07 19:34:53-04

AURORA, Colo. -- The future of fashion is streaming live on Facebook as a Colorado boutique is finding new ways to reach customers online.

The owner of Mainstream Boutique, Dawn Johnson, had to get creative when the store was forced to close under the governor's stay-at-home order.

"Well, you just have to stay relevant and you have to be able to...— you have to be able to provide a service to customers. Social selling is working so well for us now because people are home and they’re on Facebook all the time," said Johnson.

Facebook is one of the primary ways Johnson is reaching customers. She scrambled to set up their Facebook page so shoppers can purchase clothing online and then she decided to have some fun with live videos showcasing the clothes.

Johnson is getting her whole family involved, her husband runs the camera and her daughter models the outfits. They are also trying to keep the mood light; in one of the videos, Johnson jokes that she can't remember what day it is.

"The feedback that I’m getting from our customers has just been so amazing like, 'this is a bright spot of my day' and 'thank you for showing things live, it doesn’t take away what’s happening but it gives a nice distraction,'" said Johnson.

In addition to online sales, Mainstream Boutique is also offering virtual gift cards.

Johnson hopes she can inspire and help other small business owners who might be intimidated by the thought of moving their operations online.

"One of the things that I’ve realized through this whole process or ordeal is that there are so many caring, wonderful people and companies that want to support each other and we are really in this together," said Johnson.