“I can’t believe it has been nine years! Time just goes so fast and it has been such an adventure,” shared Main Street Boutique owner Natalie Roles Lepley about running the boutique.
Lepley went on to say that she and her husband, Jeff Lepley, purchased the building on Main Street in Rye in 2009. When she decided she no longer wanted to sell real estate, Jeff did all the remodeling on the building to create the Main Street Boutique gift shop.
Lepley says the first couple of years, “The store looked more like a gallery, it was so empty. We just didn’t have the inventory, but about the third year in I decided to invest more and buy more inventory.”
Lepley spends part of her winter at the Las Vegas Market shopping for new items, unlike other things they already have in the shop. She tries to keep a nice division of stock; having the local crafts and consigner items as well as the more widely produced items. The combination gives a nice balance for what visitors and tourists like, as well as what the locals like to share as gifts.
Lepley says, without some of her main consignors, she would have to struggle to find inventory. She is grateful to Red Cloud Pottery, Jennifer Roush Lepley Jewelry, Bobbie Lakes Sewn Treasures, Susan Cronk Paintings, Jan Olsen Painted Items, Creations by Brandie Chartier, Nancy Schuerr Jewelry, Brenda Hall Earrings, Margo Valdez Paintings, Tom Price Cactus Art, Jessica Driscoll Fine Art & Jewelry, Creations by Jewelry, and Natalie Roles Lepley for helping provide a varied inventory.
In addition to a huge amount of support from her husband, Jeff, Lepley says she has a great sidekick in Susan Cronk. Cronk uses her amazingly artistic eye to create all the displays for the store. She works in the store on Wednesdays and whenever Natalie needs to be gone. Lepley also gets Cronk to go to Las Vegas with her to choose new items. “I’d be lost without Susan,” Natalie said.
In choosing inventory, Lepley explained that she likes to support other small businesses, businesses that feature Made in the USA products, woman-owned businesses, businesses that use recycled products or that donate a percentage of their sales to help charitable causes. She feels all small businesses are struggling after the COVID pandemic. Many of the companies she works with are still struggling to have enough employees or products to manufacture the goods she wants to purchase.
Lepley shared that they are very thankful for all of the local support the community has given and are looking forward to more years in business.