retail profiles // classy // zovo

Several years ago Victoria Roberts realized that shopping for lingerie had become an unrewarding necessity. As an independent professional woman over 40 with a maturing body that took some getting used to, she decided to open Zovo Lingerie, a warm and spacious Seattle Washington boutique filled with sexy tops, chemises, camisoles, pajamas, bath oils, candles, bath salts and lotions.

"Zovo has been in my head since 2000 - I wanted to create a cool shopping experience that makes older women feel special," said owner Victoria Roberts.

On May 24, 2005 Roberts officially opened her 1,000-square-foot store and hasn't looked back since.

Since customer service has been an important sales method since day one, Zovo strives to learn more about new developments in the industry.

"We've been trained and re-trained and we continue to learn what's going on with our manufacturers and women's bodies; we even have speakers come in and talk about both. All staff members are put through a rigorous fit training, and they can't start until it's complete," said Roberts.

On average, sophisticated baby boomers shop for Chantelle, Simone Perele and Princess Tam Tam, and spend approximately $140 in a single visit. As many shoppers visit on an as needed basis, regulars shop once a month in search of the perfect lacy lingerie.

"My typical customer spends somewhere in the $100 range, but you can get an entire set for $200," said Roberts.

Also known for its in store promotions, Zovo is more than just a fancy lingerie shop, "it's a girl's club," said Roberts.

Every month the boutique hosts at least two special events where customers can learn more about Zovo products while meeting with shoppers of similar interests. On previous occasions, Zovo gave flowers away on Mother's Day and even served green beer on St. Patrick's Day. In fact, Roberts is even speaking at a shop conference in Seattle about in-store promotions.

"We set our store apart from others through our customer service, in-store experiences and sense of community. We're family," said Roberts.