Welcome to today’s @MNMOmag Twitterview with Susie Peterson, the owner of @Suzetra on 50th & France. Lets get started!
Susie: Sounds great Joel. I’m looking forward to it!
To start off with, share a little about yourself Susie. Where did you grow up and what did you like to do as a child?
Susie: I grew up in West St. Paul, MN and although I enjoyed playing sports which included Soccer, Ringette (a girls form of hockey
we didn’t have girls hockey back then I mostly enjoyed shopping with my mom, Grandma and Aunt.They would take me to downtown St Paul
and we would take the bus downtown and I thought that was the coolest thing!
Sounds like fun! When did you first get really interested in clothes and retail?
Susie: I was always interested in Clothing and dress up. Most kids outgrow dressing up in their moms clothes, but I never did. I was at
the Signal Hills Mall with my Mom at a store called the Stables and I was playing with the accessories and outfits-I was10 years old
I had 2 Great Aunts who were retail buyers at the time. One at Marshal Fields and the other in Duluth MN. My Mom explained to me
to me what it is that buyers do and she thought I was really good at it. So I asked my Grandma what her sister did as a buyer
and I asked my Aunt about the buying trips that she got to go on with my Great Aunt and from the ripe old age of 10 I was hooked!
Great story. When then did you start to get the feeling that you wanted to open up a boutique and decide on the name?
Susie: Opening up a boutique was always a “Dream” of mine Something that I always strived for, but either it wasn’t the right time location
etc. So life went went about. Recently I was living in another state one that suffered terribly from the economic downturn and
and consequently I was laid off twice in 3 years. Opening a boutique was no longer a dream, but a reality There was no better time
than the present So I moved home and everything fell into place and I found a great location It’s great having support of friends
and family. I love cathching up with old friends when they stop in!
So how did you come up with the name, and what kind of style of clothes do you feature?
Susie: Long Story short, but I got the nickname Suzetra in French class and thought that would be a perfect name for my boutique, Since I’m
ocated off of 50th and France the name fit perfectly! I have an assortment of cocktail wear to casual wear. I wanted to create
that was different than the rest in the sense of one boutique carries jeans, another one dresses. I wanted a boutique one stop shop.
What’s the price range of your clothes and what are your hours of operation?
Susie: Suzetra’s hours are Monday- Saturday 10-6 and on Sunday from 12-5 I get a lot of feedback about my customers liking my price points
Many of the styles are priced below $100 with the exception of jackets, Holiday and premium denim. Shirts range from $28-$80 and
non premium denim starts at $80-$100.
Do you have any specials that you’re running right now?
Susie: Yes I do. 50% off dresses!
Joel: Thanks Susie very much for sharing your story today on #MNMOtv. All the best with your store in a great retail neighborhood.
Susie: Thanks Joel!