With crisp white walls and an open layout, Golden Poppy in Dover has an elevated aesthetic to match the brands it carries. But the boutique is anything but stuffy. “We want everyone to come in and feel comfortable,” says owner Brittany La Clair.
Building relationships is the best way to make customers feel welcome, she says, so don’t be surprised if she or her staff strike up a conversation. It’s an ethos she inherited from her tenure at Bel Boutique downtown, where, she adds, “You needed [customers] to feel like they’re shopping with their friend.”
When Bel closed, La Clair didn’t want the community to lose that tailored shopping experience. In March 2022, she opened Golden Poppy, and her loyal customer base followed. Stocking cult favorites like Liverpool Los Angeles and Z Supply, the shop has a style loosely defined as “elevated basics” and “coastal chic,” but those terms don’t quite do it justice. Perhaps “open to interpretation” is more fitting, La Clair says. She wants her clientele to feel comfortable “exploring and interpreting different expressions of their personal style.”
“It is really fun for us as salespeople to pull something that is not typically what the customer would like—and they put it on, and they feel so good.”
Shop staff are on a first-name basis with most customers, who regularly message them on social media with looks they want to try or with outfits they need help piecing together. In the store, employees wait for clients outside the fitting room, acting as a ready and enthusiastic audience for what they call “the fashion show,” where customers sample looks for them, just as friends would.
But while comfort is center, La Clair also wants Golden Poppy to be a place where customers feel safe to take risks and step outside their comfort zone. “One customer was eyeing a denim strapless dress but couldn’t envision how someone over 20 could pull it off,” she recalls. With gentle coaxing from the team, the customer tried it on—and left the store with it.
“It is really fun for us as salespeople to pull something that is not typically what the customer would like—and they put it on, and they feel so good,” La Clair says. “That is the most rewarding thing ever.”
Far from a one-size-fits-all kind of shop, Golden Poppy appeals to all ages and sizes. The unifying idea, says La Clair, is to feel empowered. “We really hope that [everyone feels] comfortable walking in and finds something that will resonate with [them].”
Golden Poppy, 50 N. DuPont Highway, Unit 2, Dover; 922-4981; Website
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