Welcome Independents!

Happy Christmas to those who have been naughty and nice!

Plus some good news from the San Mateo Times about independents and those who love them!

BURLINGAME Edwina Smith doesn't mind that her boutique is tucked behind the Gap, a corporate icon that mass-produces ribbed turtleneck sweaters and crewneck T-shirts. People still find her, she said. They want the trendy and hard-to-find labels from Los Angeles and the East Coast displayed in her store, 401 Fashion Boutique on 1223 Donnelly Ave. "Being out of the way, this store plays with that," Smith said. "I'm not competing with Burlingame Avenue. People like the mystery ... and they value originality. Her store is one of many independent shops that have opened in Burlingame, shattering the notion that the Burlingame Avenue area is a haven for national chains. These new stores also hit upon a trend toward boutique shopping. Last year, a large number of mom-and-pop shops, such as Clyde's Barber Shop and Iona Designs Inc., were forced out. Owners blamed the economy and unaffordable rent.

Boutiques brought back individuality to the city's downtown core, said Mary Beth Essa of the Downtown Business Improvement District (DBID). She works at Malouf's, a 15-year-old independent store owned by Sam Malouf, at 1426 Burlingame Ave. "People like looking for hidden treasures," she said. "(The new shops) are a good sign for Burlingame's economy that people are taking risks to open a new business like (boutiques) and have a great customer base. People have high expectations of what Burlingame offers."

Therapy, a new fashion boutique that sells popular-culture merchandise, opened on "Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving, at 264 Lorton Ave. It's owned by Jing Chen and Wayne Whelan, both of San Francisco, who also considered opening their fourth Therapy store in Palo Alto. "People are excited to see our type of business opening in Burlingame, and hopefully, they'll realize that and put their money where their mouth is if they want to see an independent be in a high-rent district and cater to them," Whelan said. Whelan and his wife first opened Therapy in San Francisco's Mission District 14 years ago. They have two stores in San Francisco and one in San Luis Obispo in addition to the Burlingame location. In March, Whelan and Chen hope to showcase contemporary furniture in their Burlingame space, similar to their San Francisco stores. Their most direct competition is Dirty Laundry at 337 Primrose Road. The boutique opened six months ago. Owner Julie Boc, a Burlingame resident, has seen a 25 to 35 percent increase in sales since the store's opening. They post fliers on high school and college campuses and donate clothes to fashion shows to thrive in Burlingame's downtown. And being on a side street, she said rent is pretty reasonable. "It is a benefit," Boc said. "(Rent) is about average to a home." But the proliferation of these boutiques means competition is fierce. "I know they (Therapy's owners) were in our store scoping the place, comparing our price points to their price points," Boc said. "We went in there, too, I knew it was coming. But everywhere you go, there's going to be competition."

Whelan admitted that they did market research before opening his store. "Part of the reason why we do that is so we don't make a huge impact on the community and don't sell things for too cheap," he said. "We did make a conscious decision not to bring certain lines to Burlingame from our (San Francisco stores), because they were in Dirty Laundry." But she and Whelan don't want to compete with each other. "It's unfortunate that we need to compete with them," Whelan said. "There's enough room in what we do and what they do, where we can find our own voice." Despite the stores being located in competitive shopping districts, shop owners are confident that they'll stay. "If you have something good and people like it, it's going to work," Edwina Smith said. "It's been working since day one." However, not everyone is flocking to Burlingame Avenue. On Broadway, owner Samuel Garcia opened up a clothing boutique, The Shop on Broadway, at 1233 Broadway. His other store, The Record Shop is at 76 S. First St. in San Jose. The Shop on Broadway, the street's first clothing store, opened two months ago. "We chose Broadway, because Burlingame Avenue is pretty much done," Garcia said. "I moved into an area that is going to grow, and with new businesses moving in soon, (my store) is going to add some flavor and give Broadway what it needs: more culture

- Written by Fiona

Comments

Therapy has already become a favorite with my daughter. She purchased several holiday gifts there. I liked the informal, non-chic feel of the store and some of the fun gift ideas they had. It is different than any store we have. Also the little sliver of a store on Lorton, next to Meyer Bunje, is just beautiful. You could easily walk by without realizing that there is a space buried deep in the back. It's so nice to find nooks and crannies.