Client Spotlight: Current Boutique

Team Virid sat down with Carmen Lopez, Founder and CEO of Current Boutique, to hear more about her story and the vision behind her store.

1.  Where did your love for fashion come from? I love quality craftsmanship and design. I’ve always shopped vintage and thrift stores growing up and I loved picking out the best quality items that were constructed beautifully.  I would pay attention to what fabric was used, details in the buttons and stitching. What grew out of that was an amazing collection of pre-loved gems that I would accumulate over the years.
2. How did you come up with the idea for Current Boutique? I felt there was an opening in the market to create a fun place to buy to and sell designer clothes that didn't make you feel inferior for shopping secondhand. I wanted to make it cool and modern. In an effort to sell my own designer closet, I had a strong desire to recycle designer items for others to enjoy.  I had a ton of great designer items that had a lot of life in them and had value.  If I was finished with them I wanted someone else to enjoy them.
3. In your "Craving Current" blog you mention the importance of living a more 'sustainable lifestyle'. What kinds of steps do you personally take to live a more sustainable life through fashion?  I shop exclusively secondhand.  I also only purchase items that are better-quality and will last a lifetime.  I have found by doing this I reduce my consumption.  Instead of buying a bunch of cheap items that end up falling apart, I buy more well-made items that will last a long time.  I also take really good care of my clothing by hand washing, air drying and mending.  I'm actually very frugal so I want my stuff to last forever.
4. Current Boutique prides itself on giving pre-loved fashion a new home. How does corporate social responsibility play into your business model?  As a business we have a responsibility to develop a culture of sustainability.  We believe quality fashion should be recycled and reused. We want to be a part of the circular economy. Every employee goes out of their way to make sure we are taking quality items that will stand the test of time for others to enjoy.
5. What are some challenges of being an online consignment store? We have the responsibility to describe each item in fine detail.  For the consumer buying used clothing can be a challenging experience because one never knows how “used” an item is.  We only post items online in great to excellent condition.
6. How do you create the ideal customer experience? We invest lots of time merchandising our product and creating curated sections We make well-detailed descriptions off all our items and include great photography to display our items for customers to enjoy.
7. How has being a family-run operation affected your business strategy?  It’s great because we can bounce ideas off each other all the time.  We also have different skill sets so we can work in our silos.  That’s what makes it work. I admire his strengths and he admires mine, we are completely different.  But that’s the attraction! Ying and Yang.
8. What are some of the biggest tech challenges you face as an online retailer?  The forever changing landscape of eCommerce.  There is something new to learn all the time. You constantly have to be on the pulse or you will be left behind. That is why we partnered with Virid to be on the cutting edge.
9. What types of projects has Virid helped you with? Virid has helped create a more enhanced website experience to adapt to customers' needs and wants. Virid has been able to keep us competitive in the marketplace by offering state-of-the-art website functionality.
10. How has partnering with Virid affected the way you do business?  It has helped us develop more efficiencies.  We have been able to create amazing partner relationships with new vendors to help us grow the business. In partnering with Virid, we have an advocate in finding solutions to challenges in eCommerce and to continue to enhance the customer experience.
11. What projects are you most excited for in the next year? We are excited to continue to grow the business and discover new and better ways to increase our customer experience online.