MONROE — Mother and daughter Robin and Kerrigan Laney are like two peas in a pod, and they cherish their opportunity to run M-Bellish Boutique together. They’ve been doing it now for decades.
“We really do have a great relationship,” Kerrigan said. “Just like any mother and daughter relationship, you’re going to have your bad and good days. Overall, we have really great days. On the business side of it, we feed off and play off each other well.”
M-Bellish, a small business that provides various types of clothing, home decor, and accessories, has been operating at 132 S. Main St. in Monroe since 2007 in a 4,000-square-foot store.
Robin said the main factor that keeps M-Bellish in good standing is customer base that appreciates their inventory.
“What I am most grateful for is our customers because, without them, we wouldn’t be where we’re at today,” Robin said. “They are, first and foremost, the thing I am most grateful for …”
After starting their business in a multi-merchant storefront in Mint Hill in April of 2002, Robin wanted to move her store to a building with more space.
They went from a 900-square-foot building to their 4,000-square-foot store..
Kerrigan took a keen interest in her Mom’s work. Starting in elementary school, Kerrigan would be dropped off at the business every day after school, anxious to help Robin run the business in anyway she could.
At first, Kerrigan was not into home décor growing up. As her mother started diversifying her inventory, she fell in love with the clothes she saw in the store. The two started going to different markets promoting different apparel when Kerrigan was in high school.
Right after Kerrigan graduated from Wingate University in 2020, she immediately jumped on board and jumpstarted the online store for M-Bellish. Along the way, she learned the importance of trial and error, and getting feedback from customers.
“You’ve got to know your customer base because if you don’t know what they like, if you don’t listen to them, and if you don’t see what they’re buying, you don’t know what to buy in the future, and you don’t know what they’re gonna like,” Kerrigan said.
Today, Robin and Kerrigan are still finding creative ways to adapt to the online business world and keep the storefront fresh. Robin is grateful for the growth she sees in the store and from the customer response.
“I hope that (M-Bellish) continues to grow,” Robin said. “We have grown every year since we’ve been here. We pretty much have not gone backward, thank the Lord above. That’s a good blessing for us because it’s a lot of hard work, and it’s a lot of hours that we put in, and I’m hoping we continue the right path we’re on.”
M-Bellish is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact the store at 704-283-9640 or email shopmbellishboutique@gmail.com.
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