Finalists for the Wyndham Business Awards were recently announced.
We at Stockland Point Cook were proud to see several of our retailers be named as finalists, including Gracie’s Boutique.
We caught up with the store owner, Kerrie:
*Update*: At the Wyndham Business Awards on Friday 25th August, Gracie's Boutique was announced as the Mayoral Award Winner.
What inspired you to go into business?
I’ve been self-employed for a long time & I’ve always (wanted) to have my own boutique. It's been a long term plan that Gracie, who is my oldest daughter who’s on the autism spectrum, would need somewhere to learn how to work, to get more experience to get a job herself. Or perhaps have somewhere that she could work with me. Originally it started with Made it by Gracie cards, we started online & expanded that. Her name is on the door to include her ownership. I live around the corner. I feel like I know lots of Point Cook people & I knew what I felt was missing in Point Cook, hence the collection that we put together in the store.
What area of the business are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of the team & the customer service that they provide. How much enjoyment we have working together. As much as it’s great that we have lots of local suppliers from the community who have a real involvement in the ownership of our store, at the end of the day that’s only come about because of the team. That wouldn’t have happened unless we had the right people. I think that it’s changed the climate of the store, right from the beginning, it’s given it the feel that it’s got. Money & training can’t buy that. It’s just good people who love what they do. They’re genuine, honest, they operate as if they have shares in the store. They care, they go the extra mile. They don’t just care about me & the business, they care about the people who come in.
What does this nomination mean to you?
It’s always nice to have recognition but what I’ve found really interesting is the connections that have already come from it. Meeting other people in business & discovering people that we can collaborate with at different levels & people discovering us. That’s made a huge difference. We’ve all really enjoyed being recognised for what we’re doing. The girls were really excited when I told them we’d been selected as a finalist.
What do you want Gracie’s to be famous for?
I want (customers) to keep coming back because they enjoy coming in. That they feel like they’ve had a great experience. Whether they’ve bought something for $2 or they’ve bought something that’s going to be on their wall forever, wear for years or the best present they’ve ever bought, I want them to have that experience. Because we put new things in all the time, I just want them to keep coming & keep looking, seeing something new & interesting. If we keep the customer service there & keep it interesting, they’ll keep coming back.
