New Business Profile: Downtown Girls

Downtown Girls is a new clothing boutique on Main Street, but its owner - Jennifer Harrington - is not new to the business of fashionable apparel.
"I actually opened the first Downtown Girls in Kentucky in 2008," she said. "And then we opened a second store in Indiana in 2013."
Harrington grew up in Oklahoma, and earned her business degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma, a community about 100 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
While in college she met her husband, Ron. They moved to Concordia in 2016, and Ron is now the Chief Financial Officer at the Cloud County Health Center.
Starting her Downtown Girls business in Concordia was not a sure thing for Harrington. "I didn't think I was going to do this again," she said, "but I just really enjoy it. I enjoy meeting the people, and working with the clothes and accessories."
Harrington appreciates the flexibility of being able to run her own business. "I love that I can do things the way I want them done, in order to make the customer feel special. That's important to me. I want people to feel comfortable when they come in my store."
Downtown Girls is definitely - but not exclusively - a unique boutique for the female shopper.
"My clientele is almost all female," Harrington says with a smile. "Not all, but most. And it's a wide range in age. A lot of young girls come in looking for the accessories, and then I have women who are retired. It's a really nice mix. I like to think that we offer something a little out of the box."
Harrington shops for her product at the markets in Atlanta and Dallas, but buys a majority of her items out of Los Angeles. "I follow the trends. I go through online updates and all the magazines constantly. I then shop for my specific demographics with price points that are affordable."
Harrington feels that her business has a strong appeal for those who don't want to buy off the internet. "I completely understand that," she said. "For myself, I like to feel the clothing; I like to wear it before I buy. My customers want to try on and feel the clothes they're buying."
Harrington understands the importance of the motto: Shop Local. "It's important to support the businesses of your town. We all have to shop local as much as possible."
As for the future, Harrington plans to keep things small for awhile. "I've got kids and grandchildren in Kentucky, so making time for them will always be a part of my life. But I just really love having this little boutique in town, and I hope the community will love it, too."
Downtown Girls is located at 120 Sixth Street. The store is open Tuesday-thru-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The store is closed on Sundays and Mondays.