Retail Profile: The Lingerie Company

BODY associate publisher Ted Vayos interviewed Bonnie Rhodes, the owner of The Lingerie Company, a retailer in Amarillo Texas.

Ted Vayos, BODY: How many years have you been in this industry? 

Bonnie Rhodes: Two years, let me tell you it’s different from anything I have done before.

Ted:  How did you get started in this industry? 

Bonnie:  Well I used to work as an pilot escort car escorting large oversize and windmill blades around the country for 17 years and I would buy lingerie from different stores on the East and West Coast, Chicago, Des Moines IA, etc. When I would be in these shops, I would think Amarillo needs a store like these stores—a nice store with nice lingerie. So, when I retired from escorting oversize loads, I decided to try my hand at retail.

Ted:  When did you open this retail business?  

Bonnie: I acquired the store in March 2022. My husband and I did some remodeling, then brought stock in, all which took three months. We had our soft opening on June 1st, 2022, and our grand opening was the 2nd week of June 2022. By the way, remodeling the store to what we wanted was fun; we used to do that for a living.

Ted:  Where is your store located?

Bonnie: 200-C Westgate Parkway, Westgate Park Shopping Center, Amarillo Texas.

Ted:  Please describe your store to our readers.  

Bonnie:  The Lingerie Company is located on Westgate Parkway just off I40 West and Soncy Road, Amarillo, Texas. We are behind Barnes N Noble Book Store and just west of Target Store.  On the north side of Westgate Parkway in the horseshoe-shaped shopping center located in the northeast side leg. We are open Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM.

Ted:  What other retail businesses and services are in your immediate area?

Bonnie: Starting with the shopping center at the front of the horseshoe is the military recruiting offices: Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, and a nail salon. On the west leg is Eye Mart, on the east leg is Alliance Property Management, The Lingerie Company, and Paladin Technologies. Then there’s Northern Tools, Target, Twin Peaks Restaurant, and on the corner Barnes & Noble Book Store.

Ted:  Do any other local businesses send customers to your store?

Bonnie: Twin Peaks Restaurant sends their employees, Lane Bryant refers customers as well as Soma from the mall refers us to their customers.

Ted:  Do you have any competition in the area?

Bonnie: Victoria’s Secret and Soma in Westgate Mall, which is half a mile away.

Ted:  Do you have an internet website?

Bonnie: No.

Ted:  What makes your store special?

Bonnie: First of all, we are woman owned and woman run.  We are small but quaint, carry a little bit of a lot of different variety of items, sizes up to 5X which gives the bigger size woman a place to buy lingerie for herself in Amarillo, Texas. Then we have a tower of panties which displays hundreds of panties all at eye level. We are a store that greets each customer as they come into the door, helps with the whole experience while in our shop. We like to make everyone feel like family and make sure they feel welcome and are comfortable while shopping in the store. We are here to answer any questions, any suggestions that any customer may have.

Ted: What do you look for in a brand?

Bonnie: First of all quality, comfort, sizes, designs. I also like to look at the stitching, material, flexibility. Last and foremost the cost. The material that is used and how it is stitched together makes all the difference in durability of product being made.

Ted:  List some of the key brands that are important to your store. 

Bonnie: Exactly, there isn’t one brand that’s important to our store. I have many different brands and because I am so picky about what I purchase, we go with spurts. One week we might sell a lot of say strappies from one brand and the next we will sell a lot of body suits from another brand. So, I really can’t say one brand is more important than another.

Ted:  Do you sell lingerie?   

Bonnie: Yes, I sell lingerie. I have no top brand that outsells another brand. We have baby dolls, body suits, night dresses, strappies, garter sets, panties, and more. Lace robes long and short, satin robes, silk robes, cotton, terry cloth, and fluffy robes.

Ted:  Do you sell bras?

Bonnie:  No, maybe in the future when I have a bigger place.

Ted:  Do you sell sleepwear?  

Bonnie:  Yes. We do not have a brand that outsells the other. We have Capri PJs, long leg PJs, two-piece short set PJs. Some in silk and some cotton.

Ted:  Do you sell hosiery?

Bonnie:  Yes. The top seller is Me Moi brand. The one thing the woman comment about is the very wide lace band at the top of the thigh highs. With the larger band, the thigh highs stay up better and do not seem to slip down like the other brands.

Ted: Have you brought any new products or brands into your store recently?

Bonnie:  We have cologne, body wash, hand soap, and shaving cream for men as well as perfume, lotion, body wash, and shaving cream for women. These products are all natural made, no chemicals right here in Texas.

Ted: What are your most popular colors?

Bonnie:  Well about colors. Once again that depends on the mood of our customers, we can sell all red one day. The next animal print or all black the next day. But what never fails is whatever color I am out of that seems to be the color they want to buy, but the customer always finds something else to buy.

Ted: Describe your price points.

Bonnie: Prices range from in our store for different products are $5.00 to $120.00. That includes not only our clothing like panties, perfume, lotion, and body wash.

Ted: What is your typical or average customer size?  

Bonnie: Between medium and extra-large.

Ted: What does your average customer spend per visit to your store?

Bonnie:  The average customer spends $100.00.

Ted: Describe your customer base.

Bonnie: Our customers. We get customers from young girls to senior women, men buying for their precious other, friends buying for friends, bridal shower gifts. We sell sizes from x-small to 5X or larger the 6X and 7X is when I can keep them in the store. So, we have all different size and shape and ages from women to men shop in our store.

Ted: How has the online impacted your business? Do you sell any brands that are not sold online? What changes have you made because of online shopping?

Bonnie: I do have some items in my store that you cannot buy online. But all in all, I do not worry so much about it. I have had customers come in and tell me they have ordered something online, they didn’t get it, it did not fit or it’s the wrong item, so they come in and buy from me instead. But I am always looking for items that cannot be bought online.

Ted: What have you done to draw attention to your business? 

Bonnie:  Since we opened June 2022 we have had radio commercials, put out flyers, handed out business cards everywhere and have done mail-out postcards. Put flags outside the store to draw attention. Tried a marketing company.