A Brooklyn-Born Lifestyle Brand Expands in Real Life
Creating physical stores where you can enjoy a drink, get a facial, and buy handmade goods might feel anachronistic, but it's working for Jill Lindsey.
Running a brick-and-mortar store during the pandemic has been a roller coaster ride for countless independent retailers across America, including Jill Lindsey. She had to close her eponymous storefront in Brooklyn, N.Y.—a combo fashion boutique, cafe, and wellness center—for more than three months. Relief from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program totaled less than one month’s rent. Most of her employees moved away.
In April, Lindsey sat on her store’s cement floor trying to come to terms with the reality that her dream might fail—through no fault of her own. Since she opened in 2014, the business has been profitable every year. Meanwhile, New York City small business revenue dropped 36% and the number of small businesses open decreased 22%, from January to June, according to a recent report from advisory firm Next Street. “If I’m not meant to do this, universe, take it—but hopefully, give me something better,” she recalls thinking.