We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mary Gallagher a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

After 22 years of being a stay at home mom to my three kids, I decided to open my own business, TAG & CO. Boutique LLC. I quickly realized that re-entering the workforce after being away for such a long time would be challenging. I struggled with the idea of going back to my previous career in social services or following my dream of opening my own Boutique. I have always loved fashion, shopping, and putting outfits together. I loved how a new outfit could instantly lift my spirits and put a smile on my face! I loved hunting for clothes that were on trend and different but also weren’t too expensive! I drew up a business plan, talked about it with my husband and started researching my idea! My degree is in sociology so i had a lot to learn about entrepreneurship. Thankfully my husband Bill, who has been a successfull business owner for over 35 years, was there to quide me through the start up! I think one of the hardest parts for me was coming up with with name, and one that no one else had. I wanted it to have meaning but also something easy for customers to remember. What could be more perfect then the initials of my kids! TAG ( Tommy, Anna, Gabriell) also known now as my TAG TEAM!
TAG & CO. Boutique was formed during the Covid lockdown. This was the perfect opportunity to figure out all the logistics. I wanted to somehow test the waters of being a boutique owner without taking too much risk. The answer for me was to open a Online and Pop Up Boutique. I spent weeks watching virtual videos of how to be a buyer and learning the lingo of the fashion world. I handpicked my first collection of women’s apparel and accessories and set up at a local vendor show CLE MARKET.
I was hooked after my first show! Jennine Kessler, creator of CLE MARKET has been instrumental to me these past few years in providing me with so many opportunities and events to showcase and sell my products at.
I soon realized that the community loved coming to these outdoor events, the feedback and support I was getting was so positive and encouraging. I loved the idea of bringing my boutique to people instead of waiting for them to come to me. These shows are fun, dog friendly, family friendly. There are food trucks, entertainment and so many different local small businesses to shop with. The other vendors quickly became my vendor family, and we all support and collaborate with one another.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

TAG & CO. Boutique turns 3 this year! We have grown tremendously, and have been fortunate to have established a faithful following of amazing people. We travel to many different areas of Cleveland, where we can reach and expand our customer base. We are multigenerational so we always have something for everyone! Our collection consists of trendy apparel that all ages can wear. We focus on comfortable quality clothing always at a great price! We believe fashion should be fun and exciting and also affordable. Our collections are handpicked and bought in small batches so we can bring new styles to every POP UP. Our returning customers know that there will always be new styles available to shop and discover! Our sizes range from Small to XL and we also carry a line of kimonos that fit up to 3 XL.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

The biggest compliment to our reputation has been our repeat customers. When we see familiar faces show up at our pop ups or continue to shop our online store we are so thankful. We feel that being out in our local community and connecting with people in person establishes a trust and relationship like no other. Listening to comments and hearing suggestions is invaluable. People like to connect to the owners of businesses and put a face with the name. They remember how you greeted them or the nice conversation you shared together.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Socila media is an integral part of our business for keeping in touch with our customers and promoting brand loyalty. We have a big presence on instagram/facebook where we often feature our new arrivals, promote our POP UPS and advertise special sales or promotions. This platform gives us the ability to link our online store to any products we post so it makes it easy for people to shop items they like immediately. In Promoting Brand Loyalty we try to give each customer the best shopping experience from start to finish. We respond quickly to questions, we respect and value everyone, and we offer the best quality apparel at the best prices everyday!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shoptagcompany.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/shoptagcompany
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/shoptagcompany