The Lowdown on Los Angeles

You guys, thank you so much for listening to today's episode and I'm so excited to make a personal invitation to you. You guys know, behind the scenes at the Hub, we are always looking for new ways to serve our industry. Both our community of retailers, but also our community of wholesalers. And so for the last two years, we've been working on one massive project, a brand new wholesale marketplace built by the industry, for the industry. And you're invited with so much of your feedback along the way. Today we're so excited to announce the grand opening of hubventory.com that's hubventory. H u b v e n t o r y dot com. You're invited to come make a profile to shop your favorite curated and vetted brands handpicked by the Boutique Hub. But not only to shop. Because you see, Hubventory is a different kind of wholesale marketplace. We want to help you buy smarter. Each and every week. We want you to invest in your inventory rather than buying on a whim. So when you sign up for hubventory, not only will you be able to find your favorite brands, but we'll encourage you to follow those brands and then start to pin products to boards to build boards that are designed for your next new arrivals launch or an upcoming collection by product category or even by uploading your open to buy plan and buying with your budget. So. So you're welcome to join us today on hubventory.com to plan and buy smarter and to follow the vetted, curated and trusted wholesalers that we all love. I'll see you on hubventory.com. Let's talk about your business strategy and the juicy details of what actually works from mainstream fashion to fashion on Main street and the entire ecosystem behind it. How do we scale your company and do it with the balance and the happiness that we all seek? Let's hear from those insiders, experts and strategists that actually make it happen. I'm your host, Ashley Alderson from the Boutique Hub and I can't wait to chat. Hey guys, it's you and me this week for a short note on the podcast. Fresh off of my trip from LA and I wanted to answer a couple of quick questions that so many of you were sending me on social media all week. Just a quick reminder, my private Instagram is ajalderson. You're welcome to connect with me there anytime, share feedback from the podcast or drop your questions that you would love to have answered. So here's the scoop. So many of you were following along and inspired by and excited by the trip that we all recently took to la. So a little bit of behind the scenes. Here's what was up. We hosted our first ever in person top level Mastermind event and that took place in LA for about three days. We had a small group of about 15 retail store owners of all types of of high achieving levels join us in person to learn how to grow their business even more. Plus connect on not just a business level, but a great personal level as well. Following our Mastermind trip, we hosted our annual LA Experience, which is just for the graduates of our program Retail Bootcamp. Our Retail Bootcamp graduates from any year because it's a lifetime access program. Have an opportunity to join us in person in LA to learn how to shop in la. I feel like that's such a tongue twister because if I'm being honest, going to LA can be really intimidating. You know, on TV you think about LA and you think about Baywatch and all the TV shows and movie stars and you think about Hollywood. But in reality LA is nothing like that. At least in the Fashion district anyway. It's quite the opposite to, I would say a shocking level. So going to LA by yourself can again a lot of times be really intimidating for people. And that's why this LA Experience trip has become so important is because it really puts a group of like minded people together. Takes the mystery out of going to la. But also we aren't just exploring what's happening with fast fashion in la, but there's so many other facets of the industry. So depending on the dates that we go each year, we'll explore different avenues of our industry. Things like the textile show that takes place, or we'll go to the Cooper Building or CMC or newmart to see different types of brands, or there's things like the fabric market or the flower market, or even just to see what's happening in some of the highest end retail stores in L A. All of these things are really important parts of the overall industry. And I think to be really great at what you do in business as a retailer, no matter what you sell, it's important that you have that background and that understanding of how does a product even come to be in the first place and what's the lifecycle that it goes through before it gets to my doorstep and it's stocked on my website or in my store and then landing in the hands of the consumer. And on top of that, I would also say that going to LA is so good for relationships because you may see your vendors at market if you go, depending on how often you go. And you want to build a relationship with them. Because when things happen like the pandemic in 2020 or the inventory shortages that we've gone through, really it's those retailers that have the strongest relationships with those brands that fare the best. And so you need some face time in order to make that happen. So today I wanted to come live on the podcast, answer some of your questions and give you kind of five big tips that I would share about going and doing business in la direct with many of your vendors. You good with that? Hopefully you're pumped. I hope these are incredibly helpful for you guys. I'll keep it short and sweet. So the first one is number one. Yes, LA is super intimidating, especially downtown by the Fashion District. And truly you do have to be careful when you're in this area. So a couple things I would want you just to be aware of. Airbnbs are really hit and miss in downtown la. So we've had good experiences. But I'll tell you what, there's a group of boutique owners who came to this LA experience who were in a bit of a horror film, if I could say that, and they got out after the first night and found an empty hotel room. So I would just be very cautious of using Airbnbs unless you really know the area and you have someone who has maybe stayed in that particular Airbnb before. Otherwise there are some great hotel options that are downtown la. Hotel Indigo is one that we love to stay at. The Sheridan is also down in that area. The Ritz is down in that area. There's a number of them. But I would say Hotel Indigo tends to be a favorite for many of our members at the boutique hub. The second tip I want to give you is this area is not just about coming to the LA Fashion District or San Pedro. Right. But it's also about getting out and exploring what else this area has to offer. This time on this trip to LA was the first time that I visited the Art District and really it's just a couple blocks away from San Pedro, which is like Kitty Corner across from Skid Row, right? So you've got to go across a few things in order to get there. But when you get to the Art District, it's a really, really cool part of town and there's shops and stores. There's also a really cool, very high end shopping center there. Not like a shopping mall, but like it's in a warehouse that sells Gucci and Prada and all of those things. It's really fun to go see that and some of the bespoke designers that are also on display there to get a really, I would say a more detailed look and appreciation for what fashion and art are really about when they collide. So explore more than just fast fashion, but go and take a look and see where you can be inspired for your business getting outside of the fashion district. The same is true if you go to visit Malibu or Santa Monica. Like, get out and see some things, visit some stores that are much different than yours because you're going to be inspired when you get back home. All right, second tip, yes, there are San Pedro and there are the many warehouses that the brands that you shop have outside of that area. But don't forget about those fashion district buildings that are also there. CMC Cooper Building, newmart, we take many tours of those when we are on our LA Experience trip. But there's tons of showrooms inside with some higher level brands, some children's brands, some shoe brands that you know and love. And there's also shows that take place in those buildings as well. All right, third quick tip I want to give you is if you can make sure you grab an extra suitcase or buy one when you're there to do some cash and carry. There's a number of great accessory places that you can visit to buy some cash and carry that you can ship home. Or if you're going to go and you're going to do live sales in your hotel room, sell those items and come back and get a few more. That's a really great option to get immediate goods. But if you're going to be ordering a ton of things from all of your vendors, remember, yes, they can ship to you independently. But if you work with a consolidated shipper, this is a great way to save on shipping. If you're going to be buying many, many things, ship on a pallet to get back home. You're going to save money that way. The fourth tip I want to give you, and this is really, I think the most important and that is this is not just a time to buy and to see your same vendors. This is also a time to get out and explore and meet some new vendors. But above all else, build the relationships. Build the relationships. When you're at market, you're competing for your vendor's attention, right? There's so many boutiques and retailers that are buying with that vendor throughout the day. This is your time to get a little more space, a little more low key experience. So that you can really get to know that vendor. Now let me tell you this. Going to la, in my opinion, does not not replace going to shows. They are two different experiences. They are both important experiences, but you do them for different reasons. So keep that in mind when you're planning your travel schedule and your travel budget. There's a time and opportunity for both. And finally, the last quick tip I want to give you is this. If you are a live seller, this is an awesome opportunity for you anymore. Like the more often I've gone back to la, the more and more brands are understanding the live sell phenomenon that we are living in, or even just the fit video phenomenon we are living in. And they all have spaces set up for you in their warehouse. So make sure you can go and capitalize on that opportunity to get some guaranteed sales before you place those orders. And I know your vendors will love to see that as well. Now, if you are not a live selling boutique, that does not mean there's not just as much opportunity for you, because there is. Some of the most successful strategies I've seen in this industry in the last year and a half have come from that behind the scenes experience and letting your customers know what you're buying and where you're buying and where you're going to be and helping them to be a part of the process and have a say in what you're going to bring home for them. So bring them in on the journey with you, make them a part of the experience and use that video capability every single step of the way. So guys, that was it. That was my five quick tips for going and shopping in la. And I hope that answered a ton of the questions you guys were messaging me over on Instagram. And if you would love to join me personally in LA next year, just as a quick reminder, make sure you get on the wait list for Retail Bootcamp. We're going to be opening Retail Bootcamp again every year like we do in January and in June. And we teach those two semesters throughout the year. And then usually in September or October we go on our private trip to LA together. It is my favorite trip of the year, honestly, hands down, because it's such an intimate experience for you, not just to get to meet our team, but to build some real, sincere lifelong relationships with other boutique owners in this industry. It's one thing to build a relationship with a boutique bestie online, it's another to do it in person in LA together for three to four days. So I encourage you to think about it. To think about joining Retail Bootcamp and the time and opportunity that you have to take your business to the next level. All right, guys, I hope this has been helpful. I hope you have an awesome rest of your day. Reach out anytime. Let me know your feedback, let me know what you're doing. Please tag the podcast while you're walking or working out or putting on your makeup. Whatever you're doing while you're listening, I love to see the behind the scenes. So wishing you all the love in the world, health and happiness and success. You guys have a great rest of your day. Hey guys, thank you so much for listening to this episode. We hope that you loved it. Don't forget to hit subscribe and leave a rating and review down below for a chance to be one of our featured listeners each and every week. For more information on our spirit of community, community over competition, and how to access complete show notes and bonus downloads from our guests, head on over to the boutiquehub.com and join the community. We'll see you next week.