Monkee’s Neighborhood Boutique Celebrates 25 Years in Franchising
Women’s Luxury Boutique continues its Impressive Growth with New Store Openings in 2021
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (March 12, 2021) – Once a small, chic boutique store located in the heart of Wilmington, N.C., Monkee’s has now become one of the most sought after franchise opportunities in the woman’s retail space. Fittingly, the women owned company with 30 locations across 11 states is celebrating its 25th anniversary in franchising with notable and promising growth news.
The high-end, luxury-lifestyle brand recently broke into the Northeast region of the United States, with their newest location opening in Ocean City, MD last month, and the boutique franchise is on track to cut the ribbon on five additional U.S. locations by Fall 2021. These new stores will open in Huntsville, Alabama, Alpharetta, GA, Atlanta, GA, & two unannounced locations.
The Monkee’s executive team, led by Founder DeeDee Shaw and Co-CEO Brenda Maready, is actively pursuing new franchisees as they continue to expand the Monkee’s name in new markets. “I am thrilled to speak with fashion-forward entrepreneurs who are interested in the unique opportunity to own a Monkee’s Boutique and bring the world’s top designers into their own neighborhood,” said Troy Taylor, VP of Sales, Monkee’s Franchising LLC.
“This has been our company’s vision since we started 25 years ago,” said Andrea Rice, Monkee’s VP of Operations. “Both Shaw and Maready saw a unique opportunity in the early stages to bring high-end fashion into local communities throughout the United States, and they have empowered small-business owners to do just that for a quarter of a century.”
Because of its franchise business status, Monkee’s local owners have access to top luxury brands, distribution rights, retail buying and strong vendor partnerships. The company’s expert operations team will also assist franchisees with their merchandise mix, making initial buys and visual merchandising – all to ensure owner success and create an in-store experience that parallels the high-quality of Monkee’s merchandise.
“Monkee’s has always been about offering women a captivating, personalized shopping experience,” said Rice. “That remains a constant because of the support we offer franchisees at every stage of ownership, including our ongoing marketing support, vast creative services and digital tools. This support allows owners to focus on providing each customer an elevated shopping experience.”
While the in-store experience remains a retail sanctuary for avid shoppers, franchisees can also implement shopping through their e-commerce store, social media platforms, and partnerships through influencer marketing channels.
“We know the strength of retail when done correctly and continue to welcome new franchise owners who are eager to pair the Monkee’s name and proven systems with their own design flare,” said Shaw. “Fashion is an extension of making women look and feel their best, and Monkee’s has been at the forefront of that for 25 years. We’ve grown with hands-on owners who know exactly what their community of women are looking for, and we look forward to the next 25 years.”
To learn more about the Monkee’s Franchise opportunity visit shopmonkees.com.
About Monkee’s Franchising, LLC
Monkee’s Franchising, LLC is a franchisor with nearly 30 upscale ladies’ boutiques specializing in shoes, clothing, and accessories. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., Monkee’s was founded in 1995 and has become one of the most successful organizations of independently owned boutiques in the U.S. Boutiques can be found in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, and continues to grow nationally. Monkee’s is recognized as a leader in providing the finest fashions from the world’s top designers