Business & Tech

Must Be V Opens on Deer Park Avenue

One of the newest shops in the village is a women's clothing boutique that's already becoming a favorite for shoppers.

Vanessa Kleeman, the owner of newly opened Babylon Village clothing boutique Must Be V (and the "V" in the store name) did her research before deciding to open her store's doors at the north end of Deer Park Avenue.

She researched the competition and decided that the small vacant storefront was perfect for the affordable, yet stylish, wares her shop sells.

"Nobody was doing anything like this," Kleeman explained on a quiet and rainy recent Sunday.  The shop, selling women's clothing and accessories like purses and jewelry that Kleeman hand-picks, has a range of items costing $60 or less. 

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The Lindenhurst native, and now Smithtown resident, decided the local demographics and the dynamic downtown made Babylon Village an ideal location.  The store, open for three weeks, has been doing a steady business that Kleeman attributes to word-of-mouth and walk-by foot traffic. 

Her previous business, a children's boutique in Dix Hills that she owned and operated for seven years, confirmed her passion for fashion and for being her own boss.

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"I couldn't get rid of the itch [to open another store]," she said.

Asked if there were any keys to retail success in a downtown setting, compared to a strip mall or mall environment, Kleeman said a community aspect is important. 

"All the neighbors have been so supportive. I've been doing business since day one," she explained.  The chamber's Old-Fashioned Night of Shopping event in early December drew many new customers and the shop was busy throughout the evening, she said.

As chain superstores continue to compete with small businesses, Kleeman believes that the one-on-one and "personal shopper" benefits of shopping in a small, owner-operated boutique will keep customers coming back. 

"Customers walk out feeling special and everything gets wrapped, even if it's something small they've bought for themselves." She prides herself on offering customers an honest assessment, and shies away from the hard sell.

So far, Must Be V's biggest customers are  mostly women in their 30s and 40s but the store targets customers ages 12 to 60 and older.  Kleeman has been marketing the shop on Facebook and through a customer email list.

Must Be V is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday hours are from noon to 5 p.m.


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