Tonight, December 2, is Hospitality Night in downtown Laguna. This is a yearly festivity in which hundreds of people crowd Forest Avenue for mingling, eating, drinking, music, and just plain social fun!  It is such a fun time to get dressed in your favorite festive outfit, of course with leg warmers and hoods, and hang out with local friends.  People have been buzzing about it all week in my store, coming in for Santa or Elf gear.  It is the same night as a big football game so the Santa parade was cancelled, however, Santa will still be in his surf shack to see my daughter, and yours!  Click here to see my favorite Santa attire for this event!  You can pick it up at Romantic Boutique, 1857 S. Coast Hwy. Laguna Beach.  On the beach side across from Sweetwater  carwash!

I woke up feeling a little down, again.  Thinking about the state of this economy.  Mind you, I don’t follow politics, but I am certain, our economics are in crisis.  I wonder…at what point do the banks just own everything and have nobody able to pay them for any of it?  Do we just become a planet ghost town, where everyone huddles in shelters and eats what they can grow in the dirt out front?

I am baffled and very upset at the foreclosures on commercial properties all around me right now.  Popular hang-outs boarded up, and from my personal experience, the banks absolutely don’t care to work with Commercial owners.  I don’t get it.  I pay 7.25%, and have paid it for 5 years!  Wouldn’t you think they could just look at the money they already made and come down a little to match the going rate?  Not even an ear open to the topic.  What the heck is an East Coast bank going to do with a West Coast property?  If I can’t make it work, or sell it, how will they?  I just don’t get it.  Part of me wants to dive into this and try to figure it all out, but how am I suppose to find that time?  I spend every awake (and sometimes asleep) moment trying to figure out how to stay one more month!

Sorry to sound so depressing this morning, but I just drove downtown, Forest and Glennerye, and was once amazed at the closed doors.  Sorrento Grill is changing ownership (one of my favorite restaurants when money was more fluid), the Satisfy My Soul clothing store is gone. There are two vacancies next to Plug Clothing, and Mosun is boarded up (foreclosure).

I remember last summer, a local retail boutique owner came shopping in my store and was talking about how hard retail is right now, and saying “only the strong survive”, she is also closed, now.  It is way past that, now, it seems even the strong are not surviving.  My husband and I just went to Borders Books (closing), and spent $200 worth of gift cards on toys and books (mostly for our 3 year old).  Hard to see such a huge chain close.

I hear one question more than any other from new customers shopping in our store, “do you get more women in here than men?” or “do you get more locals or tourists?”  Well, I would say 50% men and 50% women, 50% locals and 50% visitors.  And no, that does not equal 200%, read it again, you will see that 4 50%’s is possible in this scenario.

I just love serving in our Romantic Boutique.  You can tell that a lot of people are a little embarrassed to ask certain questions, the questions relating to improving their sex lives.  I think it is possibly my traditional catholic background that makes me empathetic to that discomfort, but I can tell that I make them feel comfortable, keep the discussion very matter-of-fact, and believe I do help them find what they are looking for.  Personally, I think it is the people that are not the least bit uncomfortable that make me nervous, LOL!  I mean of all topics you could get TMI on, my store definitely evokes those conversations!

I guess what I really am trying to convey here is that it is a very satisfying job to have when you can help someone out who has an issue that they do not want to talk about, yet, they get up the nerve to do so with a perfect stranger, and leave happy they did and will return again.

Oh, by the way, all last-pair of shoes are half price in order to make room for lots of new pin-up shoes!  And we recently replenished the $10 bikini rack!

Romantic Boutique by Delicate Illusions, 1857 S. PCH, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

The first photo shoot for Valentine’s Day was such an overwhelming success that Romantic Boutique in Laguna Beach has scheduled a second one.  The owner of the store, is a “tired” mom of a three-year old, and still took the opportunity of the previous shoot to “wake up” her inner sexiness, LOL!  Well, her husband just loved the Valentine present this year!  So much, that she is definitely confident that she can transform any non-model into having a beautiful boudoir photo experience.

Come join the fun!  Next shoot scheduled for Sunday, March 6, visit store for details!

Romantic Boutique by Delicate Illusions

1857 S. Coast Hwy.

Laguna Beach, CA  92651

What is going on in CDM?  All these years, always the same stores and same vacancies to look at while driving down PCH, but today… it is like everything changed!  I found myself rubber-necking all over the place while driving!  Not safe at all!  I must find some time to go back and actually park the car and walk all the new establishments!  I even saw a Farmer’s and Merchant bank going in right at the intersection where MacArthur meets PCH!  There used to be a Rug store there that had a “going out of business” sign up for like a year or so!  I even saw new restaurants, Avila’s El Ranchito opened there!  I hope this is a sign of good times to come!

What is everyone doing to celebrate the end of a better year, and the coming of an even better year?  After four years of retail business in Laguna, I can say it took about that long to become established in this sleepy beach town.  After four years, enough locals know that we make the best sexy bikini’s at reasonable prices, we are the ONLY costume store, we have the sexiest santas, and rave-ware, and please don’t forget all the other role-playing and sexy get-up novelties!  The people visiting Laguna are finding our store rapidly with a simple google search for sexy toys, adult store, lingerie or costumes in Laguna Beach.  Sales are growing rapidly, and repeat business is something we can count on, now.

Did you know that you can receive a 5% discount by checking in to our store on facebook or foursquare at the register?  Did you know that you receive a 10% discount by “like”ing our store on facebook?

Come in and join the fun.  We are told by many that our environment for adult products is classy and unique and that we have so much fun merchandise to offer.  See you soon!

Romantic Boutique by Delicate Illusions, 1857 S. Coast Hwy. Laguna Beach, CA  92651

www.lingerieandmore4u.com

Hey, does anybody know what happened to Frou Frou?  They did not even stay until Christmas.  The store is bare, only fixtures inside.  There was not even a going out of business sign, or sale, or any kind of notice that they were leaving!  Makes me sad that the turn-over in Laguna is still high!

Finally!  A Retail Store in Laguna Beach that I am excited about!  I have been intrigued for awhile to see Frou Frou Boutique from the inside, always my misfortune to be by there when they are not open.  I was stunned!  The owner, Kim, has impeccable taste. Her interior aesthetic and her flair for trends is star-worthy!  I would recommend this store for all of the locals and for sure tourists.  The location is good, within the walking district to downtown Laguna, and in the middle of other good shopping.  I briefly spoke with Kim, and more with the owner of the stylist portion.  Apparently, the C.M.T, Brittni is a medical massage artist.  I have had Thai massage and Homeopathic Massage, but never Medical.  Apparently, she can relieve your Migraine as well as help a pregnant woman begin labor if she is having trouble.

It is hard to believe that in one store, you can get hair extensions, waxing, massage, shop the best trends, ( and may I compliment the fair pricing), as well as all kinds of accessories and artistic cowgirl boots.  This store is now my favorite!  Kudo’s to Kim and Brooke, way to bring Laguna back!  This fantastic Boutique & Salon is located at 750 South Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA  92651

I have been reading articles and the latest “poll” taken by Laguna residents about why the retail sales are down in Laguna.  I find them so boring, I can not finish the articles.  The latest was a blame session on the parking, the parking police and the rude store employees, all the cause of why locals don’t shop in Laguna.

Laguna retail has always been focused on tourism.  Laguna has always been a destination for “shopping” days.  It has not been a place for every day merchandise.  It was planned this way.  Now, that the economy is difficult, less people are vacationing, thus less shoppers for the retailers.

Families have favorite ways to shop.  The mall for clothing, cosco for bulk, office depot, office max for work supplies, and of course, home depot.  So, we take a trip inland for all our usual needs.  I’m guilty of this, and it is unfortunate, we are “comfortable” with these big stores.

Yes, I agree, the parking police are unbelievable, sometimes I think they hide behind a lamppost waiting to pounce on the next person that stops in front of my store – so be sure to have a quarter in the console!  But, rude store personnel?  Please!  I personally, have not experienced this, and being a local retailer, I do visit a lot of stores if not to buy, to definitely introduce myself!  I think we need to take a look at WHO answered this poll.  I never saw one, what was the demographic of those who answered it?  That, would be helpful to know.

I have been a resident of Laguna for 3 1/2 years, and an admirer for 30. Laguna Beach has always been my favorite town to walk around in.  The architecture- diverse, the shops- unique, and the people, healthy and vibrant, well except for the mass of homeless people that also love this town.  In my most recent walks, south of Legion Street, the newest news is that Duo Fashion Boutique is closed, Elle H Boutique is closing and lastly, the New European clothing store, Upside Down (formerly Saffron), is also closing.  What does all this mean?

I hear complaints that the rent is too high.  High?  Relative to what?  Sometimes, I think people say things just to hear their head rattle.  Yes, it is higher than an industrial, auto park street in Mission Viejo, but that is 20 miles inland, and this is Pacific Coast Hwy.  Has anyone looked at the strip malls lately?  I don’t care where, anywhere. The parking lots might as well be turned into driving school lots, or paint-ball fields.  There is nobody in the strip malls, and there are no tenants in the stores.

The rents are not too high, the landlords must make a monthly mortgage payment based on the worth of the building, and yes, it still costs a ton to own in Laguna.  I don’t pretend to know what the answer is, but I do read that the mind-set of the successful small boutique owners is the same as mine.  That customer service is the key to staying open in these harder times.  In the past few months, I have made a stronger effort to make a shopping experience memorable for my customers.  Make them want to return, know their name, and hopefully have their email address on hand when they leave.  Send a e-thank you card, and/or make sure they know when new arrivals, arrive.

Romantic Boutique by Delicate Illusions, 1857 S. Coast Hwy, has been open for 3 1/2 yrs. in Laguna Beach, longer than any of the surrounding stores, we are excited about the future, and excited to help you have your best Valentines Day ever!