St. Thomas – How much can you put in a small kiosk shop on a Yacht Haven Grande? For Nicci Roos, it seems like it’s not enough. In just over eight months since it opened, Nicci’s Boutique has added a second kiosk to expand its collection of clothing, jewelry, bags, art, and more.
Ross grew up in St. Thomas and spent every Saturday working at her parents’ restaurant, Cousins, on Back Street in downtown Charlotte Amalie.
“I owe my parents a lot,” she said. “They are entrepreneurs and I’ve seen them really work hard and really follow their passion and dreams. They’ve made me work every Saturday as a kid since I was 12. I’ve been whining and whining, but at the end of the day I’m so thankful that they showed me how to be strong, independent, and free. .thinker, open-minded, and has a hard work ethic.”
Ross graduated from the School of Antilles and enrolled at the University of Miami to study international finance and marketing. She was working in real estate in Miami and South Beach when two hurricanes hit Miami in a row, she came home to visit her parents for a week, and ended up with a job at Frenchmans Cove and never came back.
Being a person, she has worked in Hospitality and Sales at Marriott Vacation Club, Margaritaville and Wyndham Resort. When the pandemic arrived, Roos was put on furlough, and had not worked for nearly a year. That time enabled her to focus on her passion project, owning and operating a store, an idea she had been contemplating for a decade. She noticed the stalls on the Haven Grande yacht, and although it was small and in need of some work, she saw the potential. Roos used all her savings, raised her credit cards, and opened Nicci’s Boutique in August 2021.
At her first show at the Atlanta merchandise market, Ross felt out of her depth. A chance encounter left her in the elevator with what she considers the best advice. “There was this guy and I can tell he’s been doing it for a while,” she said. I asked him what his biggest advice was. He told me ‘don’t buy anything unless you like it, because if you don’t like it, you won’t sell it.’ That house really hit me, so I try to get small parts for everyone, but it’s something I really like. I spend hours at Composition stock, so it’s like literally coordinating clothes.”
A fair price is also very important to Roos, and she’s trying to funnel priced items, from $10, into her line of eco-luxury products.
When the kiosk next to it became available, Roos decided to expand and open it a little over a month ago. This allowed her to carry other things that she had no room for. They now have women’s sizes up to 3X full, a small selection of children’s clothing and I have ordered a collection of clothing for men. It also has fair trade items as well as clothing from local designers, and jewelry and art by local artists.
When Roos opened the boutique, it was with the local community in mind, and she wanted working hours to be within reach of those who regularly work nine to five jobs. The store is open from 4 pm to 8 pm on Mondays and noon to 8 pm from Tuesday to Saturday, allowing its customers to browse and take their time after work.
With a large area of lawn behind her booths, Roos decided to use it for fitness classes six days a week. Although the seasons may change from time to time, participants can enjoy yoga, zumba, kickboxing, succes, and more.
“The outside is great because I really wanted to make something that focused more on the family,” she said. “I wanted the classes to be accessible to the community. It’s only $10 and you don’t have to be online to sign up. You can bring your kids, and your spouse can join in or have a cocktail at The Box Bar next door. It’s a really great way to do that. I feel people appreciate that “.
Roos is working to offer art classes in the near future, and will begin art classes for kids sometime next month.
Her next project is The Samsara Collection, an online consignment store where people in the Virgin Islands can sell clothes to local buyers online and use Nicci’s Boutique as a drop-off point. Your online store should be up and running in a couple of months, and you’re hoping to donate some of the proceeds to the Family Resource Center.
For more information, visit www.niccisboutique.com, Nicci’s Boutique VI on Facebook or Instagram, or call 340-244-5760.
