Simply Chic Boutique is a shop that sells a variety of merchandise from women’s fashion, jewelry, children’s items, home decor, artwork, and more. Situated in a small Paris town with charming little shops and places to grab a coffee or have a romantic dinner date followed by a hot air balloon ride or some ice cream. Owners, Patrick Pearson and Addi Ohare always have fun ideas and new additions in mind for guests. SLE met up with Patrick and Addi to learn more about them and what’s to come for Simply Chic Boutique.
Interview with Patrick & Addi
SLE: It’s a pleasure to meet you both, where are you from and how did you discover Second Life?
Patrick: It's a pleasure meeting you as well. Addi and I met in another virtual world around 2009. She told me about Second Life about 8 years ago and we then decided to move to Second Life as we enjoyed our time here.
SLE: Everyone has a unique story about what brought them to Second Life. We are glad you came here, we love meeting new people and checking out their talents. What inspired Simply Chic Boutique?
Patrick: Addi has always been passionate about clothing and design and loves to try her hand on everything available within reason given our daily RL world schedules and whatnot. When she wanted to look into this together in Second Life, I was 100% behind her to give anything I can and we settled on a name that is simple yet classy and fun, and Simply Chic Boutique was born.
Addi: I started creating clothes in the other virtual world we were in, so I wanted to give it a try in SL too. It was easy to learn and I enjoy being creative with the patterns and textures in Photoshop. I also love decorating in SL, so there may be more additions down the road.
SLE: Being supportive of each other is very important in both RL and SL. You two seem to work well together. There are many shops in Second Life. What type of merchandise do you sell?
Patrick: Simply Chic Boutique has a variety of items to give a wider range of selection for everyone...clothing, home decor, gift items, artwork, musical items...Simply Chic Boutique gives a little bit of everything. We also have a Simply Chic Boutique group and a unique gift for members. Customers can also subscribe to be notified of sales and special events.
SLE: You have a new location grand opening coming up on June 13th, 2021 that resembles a little Paris town, can you tell our readers about it?
Patrick: We both dream of Paris and would love to visit Paris someday. But for now, any elements that trigger the imagination in our hearts to cascade down to the homestead we have and give a little character and charm. From offering a small jazz club to enjoying an intimate dining area to simply take in the overall affair with some fun for everyone as well as children, and we'd like to share that same sentiment with you by coming to experience our venue on June 13th. We’ll have store discounts, some prizes from our stores and offer a raffle as well. We'll be DJing at the event too, playing a variety of music if anyone feels like dancing and having fun.
SLE: Aside from all the shops and activities for couples to do you will also be hosting small weddings. What type of amenities will you offer and how can couples book their wedding?
Patrick: We have an area where we can do quaint weddings. We have several wedding elements that we have obtained over the years that feature a cute chapel to an outdoor event to help tailor to the bride and groom’s needs.
Addi: Contact patrickp29 resident or addi.ohare in-world for wedding information and a tour (it is put out for the occasion only). We offer a fully outdoor wedding setup for a small wedding or a chapel wedding and a casual or elegant reception area (limited # of guests due to our land limits). We can also offer DJ services and we have experience as an officiant as well, if needed. Custom personalized signs and invitations are also included in the wedding package.
SLE: That’s great information for couples looking to get married. Do you also have a club for hosting events? If so, do you have a calendar or group that guests can join?
Addi: We do have a personal venue called Club Addictions that we can rez and it is available for parties. We can offer a specialized show in our venue if someone is looking for a club atmosphere for any event or party. Patrick and I both offer DJ services for parties and weddings. We are currently DJing at a couple of venues a few times a week but if we start having weddings and/or parties booked, we will devote all of our time to our customers. We also have a small dancing area at Simply Chic Boutique that is open to everyone, adult contemporary/jazz music playing 24/7 on our land. We do have a group called “Fans of Patrick & Addi'' if anyone would like to come to our DJ sets.
SLE: With your fingers in many businesses competition can be tight for shopkeepers in Second Life, what makes Simply Chic Boutique different from others and how are you attracting customers? Also, if the customer wanted to see your product online do you also have a shop on SL marketplace?
Patrick: Yes, Simply Chic Boutique has had a small but faithful following since it first launched. You can find our store at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Blue%20Mountain/111/42/26
Addi: My goal is to have fun creating items that we all enjoy shopping for, hoping our special items will attract customers in the Marketplace and having them come into our store in-world. We are still learning how we can promote the new store. We do offer a small discount on select items in-world. We are thankful for SLE doing this interview!
SLE: Thank you! Customer service is an important part of running a successful shop. What is your preferred contact for shopping inquiries?
Addi: I love our customers and I want to make sure any question or concern a customer has is taken care of right away. In my notecard included with every order I give a few tips and hints and I also ask them to message me in-world with any questions or concerns. I will do everything I can to help and make sure the customer is satisfied. Patrick is also available to help.
SLE:Well we appreciate you taking the time and letting our readers learn more about the Simply Chic Boutique and the other services you offer. Now, is there anything else you would like to share with our readers about Simply Chic Boutique?
Patrick: We'd love people to add Simply Chic Boutique to their list of places to explore and experience in Second Life and feel free to unwind with friends and loved ones.
Addi: We have a variety of items for sale in every building. There are several places with animations if you wish to relax, have fun, or dance. We even have a hair salon with animations too. We wanted to create a fun area for everyone, not just shopping. If you need a gift, we have a great selection of items for men, women, and children, we have special holiday items as well and a few greeting cards too. We add items to our store quite often. We keep all of our items reasonably priced. Look for our promo-priced items on new releases. Join our group “Simply Chic Boutique” for a free tropical dress and get notifications of sales and special events. If you're looking for a wedding venue or planning a party or any event, please feel free to contact us for information. Thank you, SLE.
Additional Information
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Blue%20Mountain/111/42/26
Group: Simply Chic Boutique - secondlife:///app/group/756e8b78-8f2b-b89a-9f72-456f314a8321/about
URL: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/162410?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/338718673340562
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/simplychicboutique/
Preferred Contact: addi.ohare or patrickp29 resident
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