Ladies Night Out Set for Little Shoppes of Winthrop

A handful of tenants calling themselves “The Little Shoppes at Winthrop” plan to show off their wares at a Ladies Night Out event planned for the Winthrop Town Center on May 7.

The shopping party is set for the brick patio in front of the storefronts, between Starbucks and Five Guys, with complimentary wine and food.

Hosting the event is Lady Chameleon Accessories Boutique, Royalty X Thr33 Boutique and Bellafia Chocolate Boutique.

The three businesses often combine their efforts, as they did as well with their "Pre-Mother's Day Extravaganza" held in conjunction with the Third Annual Winthrop Arts Festival, held  April 30 and May 1.

“We wanted to do something just before Mother’s Day so people could get a chance to get some ideas instead of that last-minute shopping,” said Desiree Staples-Cunningham, owner of Royalty X Thr33 Boutique and the event coordinator. “We are toasting the moms so they can say ‘I was out and I saw this.’”

Staples-Cunningham store opened Dec. 3 and specializes in “funky, chic fashions. It’s all very new but very price effective. Something that people will remember when you wear it.”

Nothing in the store is over $100. “You don’t have to pay a lot to look good,” Staples-Cunningham said.

Sandra Grenier opened the doors at Lady Chameleon in Winthrop last August. Grenier and her business partner, Lynn Wise, had a kiosk in the Westfield Brandon mall for six months before that.

“(Winthrop) is a good location and a good fit for us. We get a small store but not with so much square footage that we cannot fill it,” Grenier said.

Lady Chameleon specializes in Miche interchangeable bags as well as jewelry, most of it under $25. She expects to be busy over Mother’s Day. After Christmas, it’s her biggest sales period of the year.

With the downtown in the economy, she also expects to see more moms accessorizing this year.

“It’s a lot easier and less expensive to buy an accessory for an outfit than to buy a whole new one.”