Cari is the owner of Moxie Boutique and the founder of the Moxie Box. Make sure to stop by this trendy boutique on Main Street for all the latest fashion trends!
Her Campus: How long has Moxie been on Main Street?
Cari Rogers: We actually just celebrated our five year anniversary, so we’ve been here five years!
HC: Was it founded in Newark?
CR: Yes, I’m originally from Missouri (I know it’s very random) and I was a fashion merchandising major there and I was working in New York in fashion for a manufacturing company. My husband (who went to UD!) is from here, so we met in New York and I came to Delaware. When I was looking for a location to open the store I wanted to cater to college students. This is the stuff I want to carry, so this is the spot where I wanted to be.
HC: Do you have any other locations?
CR: Nope, just this one!
HC: How did you come up with the name Moxie?
CR: When I was working in New York I had a really long commute. I was reading some cheesy book and the name of the fashion magazine in the book was Moxie. I thought that was kinda catchy. Then I looked up what it meant and it means determination and having a lot of gumption and going after what you want. So I thought that fit me and it was a positive way to start things. The name was something I had years ago before the store.
HC: If you had to describe your store in three words, what would you say?
CR: I would say we are trendy, contemporary, and unique.
HC: What sets you apart from department stores?
CR: We try really hard not to carry name brand stuff that you would get at Nordstrom. I think it is really important for a boutique to be a boutique and that’s carrying brands you cant get anywhere else. I personally have never been a mall shopper, I hate the mall, so I wanted someplace where someone can come and relax. I also can’t shop at Marshalls where there’s stuff everywhere, so wanted a fun place where you can come in and see unique pieces that you cant find anywhere else at good price points. It’s important to have quality stuff at a good price.
HC: We know you usually go around to classrooms to talk to students. What do you usually talk to them about?
CR: It depends on the class. I talk at the assortment planning class every year (FASH420) and that’s the buying class. Basically I talk about the buying process and merchandise planning and how you get to point A to point B. I’ve taught at the seminar class, where I talk about Moxie and the story of owning a business and how you get started.
HC: And lastly, what do you see for the future of Moxie?
CR: Moxie Box is something I want to dive more into. Were trying to create its own platform for a website because right now its just on our website and I can only sustain that for so long. Were growing enough to where if we get another 20 to 30 subscribers were not going to be able to handle it. I have help but we have to create the box, write a note, look at what they got last time, it’s a lot of steps. That’s our focus right now. In the future, I would like to open up another location one day, but that won’t be for another 3 or 4 years out.