Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1355320
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 54 APRIL 2021 S H O P + R E N E W CONTACT Wheat, 8 Inn St., Newburyport, wheatnewburyport.com; Chic Consignment, 44 Main St., Andover, chicconsignment.com; J.Mode, 17 Front St., Salem, jmodefashions.com; SoleAmour, 10 Main St., Andover, 17 Thompson St., Winchester, soleamour.com Thanks to owner Stephanie Sipley, SoleAmour was able to revamp how it did business during the pandemic. While she was willing to work hard to keep her Andover and Winchester stores in business, Sipley says "Catering to the needs of the customer during this time happened naturally." At the start of the pandemic she noted the number of customers reaching out via Instagram and realized she could "use the app to provide clients with a highly personal level of digital At J.Mode in Salem, owner Janet Barsanti pivoted quickly at the start of the pandemic. This meant redeveloping J.Mode's website, more online sales, and an increased use of social media. Like other retailers, J.Mode also offered curbside pickup and contactless delivery for local residents. Wisely, Barsanti tailored her inventory to reflect the times. "Wechanged our collections to offer styles that would support looking good and feeling good from home. People stopped buying dresses for weddings or date-night tops, and instead invested in chic loungewear or at- home work attire. We supported looking great and stylish, even if you were stuck at home," says Barsanti. Now that things are returning to normal, the store is so thankful for the locals who supported them over the past year. PHOTOGRAPHS, TOP TO BOTTOM BY COURTNEY BARSANTI, BY TONY SCARPETTA Above and right, Salem's J.Mode Left, Stephanie Sipley, owner of SoleAmour customer service." Her Instagram videos were effective in terms of generating sales, rewarding in terms of providing personal connection, and unique in that Sipley got down to details. Videos often featured Sipley explaining an item, wearing it, explaining the fit, talking about the material, and more, going far beyond the traditional experience of clicking "add to cart" on a website, effectively bringing customers into the store during a time when that wasn't possible.