The presence of a college campus offers a multitude of opportunities for nearby businesses. Cheesie’s has benefited from our habits of late night munchies, FitGirl Studio and Pure Barre offer student deals to help you work off that Freshman 15, and local bars famously accomodate the social lives of students and faculty alike.
Envy, a new clothing and accessories store located on Chicago Avenue and Davis Street, hopes to capitalize on this same market. Although its doors have been open for less than two weeks, Envy seems to have caught the eye of consumers.
“We get a lot of foot traffic,” said Annie Livingston, a sophomore at Northwestern University. “We’ve also gained a lot of recognition through word of mouth.”
Livingston, who started working at Envy in September, heard about the job through her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. Envy’s manager, Kristi Pawlowicz, reached out to several Northwestern sororities for potential employees.
Livingston says Envy caters specifically to undergraduate college women, highlighting both casual and nighttime clothing.
“Everything in the store is under $40, which is great because I think a lot of college students struggle with money to buy clothes,” said Livingston. “Also, we change our stuff out really quickly. If you come in and don’t see anything you like, we’ll have new stuff by next week.”
Another compelling feature of Envy is its stock of Lilly Pulitzer merchandise, including tumblers, phone cases and planners.
“I love that you can get Lilly stuff in Evanston now,” said Northwestern sophomore Anna Schapiro, a student in the Medill School of Journalism. “Before I would have to order it online and it takes forever.”
Although it’s only been open for a couple weeks now, Envy boasts a significant buzz and growing clientele among students.
“I’m really excited about the store,” said Livingston. “We hope to become a regular stop for Northwestern girls.”