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Flashback
Sharon
Whipkey loves the late 1960s. With full skirts and embroidered
blouses, her wardrobe is decidedly Flower Child. But
living in tiny Stephens City south of Winchester, Whipkey
couldn't find the styles she was looking for. "There
was nothing in the area," she says.
So
Whipkey did what many a savvy consumer does when he
or she can't find the product they're looking for -
she started her own business. In March, Whipkey and
her husband, Robert, opened the aptly named Flashback,
a depot for tie-dyed clothing, incense and wall tapestries.
The two scouted several companies that specialized in
the clothing and lifestyle accessories that would define
the concept. The Whipkey's son, Dareld, assisted by
searching for prospective vendors online. After applying
for a business license, Sharon started looking for the
ideal commercial space. "Once I found the place
to rent, I started moving quickly."
The
Whipkeys chose an older building that needed cosmetic
attention, rather than a new shopping center with higher
rent. "When I first looked at this place, you had
to have an imagination," Whipkey says. Robert Whipkey
did the interior remodeling, including building a dressing
room area that customers enter through a row of beaded
curtains.
Flashback
opened with a remote broadcast by a local radio station,
inviting customers in to soak up the retro atmosphere
that includes tapestry-lined walls, burning incense
and classic rock music. They spread word of the opening
by printing flyers, and working with a local pizza restaurant
to distribute pizzas with Flashback's flyer stapled
to the box.
Flashback's
offerings continue to grow, and now include consignments
from Virginia glassblowers and potters. A line of beads
that will enable customers to make hemp necklaces will
be arriving soon.
Sharon,
who has a retail management background, is in the store
most days and finds the variety of clients, including
travelers from Front Royal and eastern West Virginia,
noteworthy. "I am surprised by the people who come
in," she says. "I have as many customers who
are in their 40s as are younger."
-
Nicole McMullin
Return
to Virginia Business - August 2002
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