Boutique opens in New Richmond

Kele Monteith has always wanted to open her own boutique — so that’s what she did.

Casual Affair Boutique, 729 N. Knowles Ave., Suite D, opened Nov. 5 in the former Jeff’s Flooring location.

“I worked in the corporate world before and hated it,” Monteith said.

She said she decided to open her store because she was sick of driving to the Twin Cities every time she needed something new and unique.

“I had to plan an entire day to go to the Twin Cities to shop,” she said. “There was nothing here (in New Richmond) for established women.”

Casual Affair Boutique caters to women 30 and up, she said.

“I wanted to be a local business that could serve their needs without having to drive to the cities,” she said.

“I offer unique things,” she said. “It’s in my slogan ‘Unique fun fashions for her!’”

Unique accurately portrays the inventory in Monteith’s boutique. To help keep things that way, when an item is gone, it’s gone.

“I won’t reorder any of the unique pieces,” she said. “That way the ladies of New Richmond don’t all look the same. It will also allow me to get new stuff in.”

Each piece was hand-picked by Monteith, she said. As fun as that sounds, it’s actually quite difficult.

“I couldn’t pick just things I liked,” she said. “It’s not all about me. It’s about what my customers would like.”

Items range from clothing, hand bags, clutches, hats, scarves and custom jewelry.

Monteith also plans to offer larger sizes, she said.

“I have some stuff now and will get more soon,” she said. “I try to get a mix so I can cater to most.”

As business picks up, Monteith said she’ll start fine tuning her inventory to match customer feedback.

“I have to listen to customer feedback, otherwise I won’t be in business long,” she said.

The building has come a long way since it was a flooring showroom.

Walls were erected to create an office space and dressing rooms and the walls were painted to create a warm atmosphere.

Monteith said she picked the building at 729 N. Knowles Ave. because of its location.

“Super America gets a lot of traffic and Rose Nails is pretty busy,” she said. “The boutique kind of coordinates with women getting their nails done.”

Casual Affair Boutique is open six days each week. Holiday hours are Sunday noon to 4 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The store is closed on Mondays.

For more information call the store at 715-246-5343. Gift certificates are available.

Tags: new richmond, business, retail