Sweet Country Style boutique finds home in downtown Salisbury
Published 12:00 am Sunday, July 28, 2019
- Shelly Lowder, the owner of Sweet Country Style boutique, stands behind store register. By Samuel Motley
By Samuel Motley
SALISBURY — Seeking to bring a “down-home, country-feeling vibe” to downtown Salisbury, Shelly Lowder opened Sweet Country Style boutique last Wednesday.
The boutique, located at 105 W. Innes St., is the newest addition to the selection of downtown boutiques and opened during the recent Krazy Klearance promotion. Lowder said her boutique offers “something unique and different” through “country, western and a little bit of (bohemian)” custom-style clothing.
“I call (our selection of clothing) country chic … a style people can wear out and about,” she said.
Sweet Country Style boutique has opened in downtown Salisbury. Samuel Motley/Salisbury Post
That includes everyday fashion or styles for a night out, Lowder said. The concept makes the boutique stand out from others, she said.
The collection of clothes ranges from custom-made T-shirts to custom leather jewelry. Her inventory comes in small batches, Lowder said, which allows to to constantly refresh the store.
The boutique offers a personal, family-run experience, she said.
Sweet Country Style is owned by Lowder and run in tandem with her daughters, Maliyah and Mariah Lowder. Her husband, Jason Lowder, helped design the store inside.
She decided to go into the boutique business after a lifelong career in marketing, retail and apparel.
She was a senior marketing manager at Hanes Brands for roughly 17 years.
Lowder is a Stanly County native who moved to Salisbury after she got married in 2000. She lived in Salisbury for three years and then moved to Winston-Salem, pursuing her career in marketing and apparel.
Still, Lowder said she was looking to do something for herself.
“I always had this urge of owning my own business or being an entrepreneur,” she said.
Pursuing her dream and taking her innovation to heart, Lowder took ownership of a home decor website, sweetcountrystyle.com, roughly two years ago. The website primarily offers a collection of home decor items, but Lowder said she expanded the site to include clothing.
The website and its boutique-style clothing caught the attention of people from all over, Lowder said.
“I just knew that e-commerce was really growing,” she said. “I sold a lot of things to people from Texas and Florida and all over, really.”
Still, there weren’t many people from North Carolina browsing her online store, she said. But Lowder said she knew people in the area would enjoy its products if word got out.
After adding apparel to the website, Lowder wanted a way for customers to try on the clothes and feel the fabrics, too. Opening a storefront was the next step.
By opening the boutique in Salisbury, Lowder said she’s bringing her online shop to life.
Lowder said loyal online patrons can still enjoy the full benefits. Each store will offer unique selections, but now customers have the option of picking them up in the store, she said.
After moving to High Rock Lake three years ago, Lowder said she saw all the activity in downtown Salisbury with new businesses popping up.
Salisbury was an ideal choice for her store, she said.
“I love the local feel of everything,” she added.
Customers can enjoy the her store while also enjoying the coffeeshops nearby along with the city’s other amenities.
Since opening, Lowder said many people and fellow shop owners downtown have been coming in to check out her shop and meet her. Business has been very “energetic,” Lowder said.
“People have been very excited about it and love the idea.”
During Krazy Klearance, Lowder said she had customers from Kannapolis, Apex and across Rowan County.
The boutique will host a grand opening in mid-September. It will include food, activities and a ribbon cutting.
