retail profiles // sexy // fatale by sm

Q&A with Melissa Gaudette, president

Ted Vayos, BODY: Describe your retail bsuiness for our readers.

Melissa Gaudette: Fatale by SM is a luxury lingerie and lifestyle retailer which we have hand-selected a collection of luxury lingerie, jewelry, intimacy products and instruments of pleasure that will satisfy your every desire. Fatale by SM is an internet retailer based out of Miami, Florida with plans to expand into the Las Vegas and Los Angeles markets by 2015. Fatale by SM will engage all of the senses while surrounding you in a world of intriguing persuasion.

Ted: What makes your business special?

Melissa: Fatale by SM celebrates a woman’s inner femme fatale with just the right amount of wrong. We believe a woman should be empowered by her sexuality by communicating her desires and exploring her inner fantasies. We hand select each item carried in the store, making all of our pieces unique and special. Fatale by SM is a one stop shop for that special night, with a wide variety of lingerie, hosiery, pasties, massages oils, candles and instruments of pleasure our customers always leave satisfied.

Ted: What do you look for in a brand?

Melissa: When choosing our intimate apparel brands our primary focus is uniqueness. We want all of our pieces to completely embody the quintessential femme fatale, beautiful, seductive and powerful. We currently carry Patrice Catanzaro, Hauty, icollection, Baci, Lelo, Bijoux, Sex and Mischief, and Nish Collection. Our outstanding review goes to Patrice Catanzaro. From their exquisite designs, fabrics and details to their ad campaigns and extremely helpful staff they are definitely a star in our collection. Lingerie is our primary focus however; we do carry instruments of pleasure, candles, massages oils, lubricants and pasties from Lelo, sex and mischief, Baci and Hauty. Luckily we have not had any major disappointments with any brands. The only constructive criticism I could give would be to improve delivery times and update product stock list regularly.

Ted: Describe the popular styles or trends in your store.

Melissa: Our most popular trends would be our S&M and bondage inspired pieces. Our customers very much enjoy the fact that our products push the boundaries of sexuality but always remain classic and elegant.

Ted: Describe your price points and size ranges.

Melissa: Our Price points range from $50-$200 for lingerie and $25-$500 for accessories and instruments of pleasure. Our bra sizes range from 32-36 ABC, and XS-Medium for panties and garters. We also offer many O/S products.

Ted: What is your typical or average customer size?

Melissa: Our average customer size is Small, 34B.

Ted: What does your average customer spend per visit to your store?

Melissa: Our average customer spends between $75-$100 per visit.

Ted: Describe your customer.

Melissa: Our target customer is female; she is between the ages of 28-38. She has very discerning taste in intimate apparel and knows exactly what she is looking for. She is upper middle to upper class, well educated and frequents the trendiest lounges and restaurants. She ranges from an independent single, to a housewife who is looking for that extra spice in her marriage.

Ted: What has impacted your business the most over the past year?

Melissa: The greatest impact we have had in the past year was overwhelming positive feedback from our customers and social media followers. Feedback is extremely important to our success and growth as a company. Our supplier referrals have also been a great impact on our company. Each of our suppliers has offered to help develop our brand to its full potential and this we value tremendously.