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• Jennifer North’s new location draws more customers

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Jennifer North »
Address: 1705 W Kirby Ave Champaign, IL 61821
Phone: (217) 363-5001
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This past February, Courtney McKay moved the location of her boutique Jennifer North from downtown Champaign to the Old Farm Shops on the southeast corner of Kirby and Mattis. Nestled among homes and a diverse collection of stores, the Old Farm Shops have a quaint neighborhood feel. McKay opened Jennifer North in 2007, and after her two-year lease was up, she decided to move to a smaller space.

“Now that we’re in this location, we’re getting more customers. The attraction to this area is that you can pull up and park,” she said. The boutique caters to a wide range of ages, so McKay makes it a point to stock items for everyone. She strives to keep prices reasonable and often does this by selecting upscale junior’s lines.

Jennifer North carries a clothing, accessories and pajama line called P.J. Salvage. One could stop in and find a casual daytime outfit, a tailored dress for a graduation or a trendy top to pair with jeans. Although there are many brands featured, French Connection and Hazel have a strong presence in the store. Lia Molly is another featured brand, uniquely from New Orleans. In keeping with the range of customers, the boutique stocks two jean options: See Thru Soul and 7 for All Mankind. See Thru Soul jeans have a higher waistband and are about half the price of Seven.

Jennifer North also has handbags and an eclectic selection of jewelry that ranges from beaded necklaces to dangly, wooden earrings. McKay explained that the boutique can sell jewelry for cheap because she gets the jewelry wholesale. “We go to the garment district in New York and get to skip levels. The jewelry is well-made, but we get it for a good price because we go directly to the source,” she explained.

Jennifer North often works with other local businesses to put on events in the community. “We pair up with Bacaro and host shopping parties,” McKay said. Bacaro, a restaurant and wine bar, will bring food into the store, and a portion of the proceeds will go to charity. Past events have benefited the Mental Health Center and the Festival of Trees. Recently, Jennifer North and Findings Boutique worked with Prairie Gardens in Champaign, loaning outfits after which the garden center based floral arrangements.

McKay has grown up with retail, recently

taking over the running of Art Mart, which her parents have owned 50 years. Located in Urbana at Lincoln Square Mall, Art Mart specializes in housewares and toys and contains a gourmet deli/bakery. McKay also co-owns Mirabelle Bakery in Urbana. Jennifer North

previously sold Rubens chocolates, but the store temperature was not suited to do so. In the next week, McKay will arrange for Jennifer North to add cupcakes from Cakes on Walnut to its inventory. “It’ll be nice for both us and the girls downtown and offer good cross-merchandising for both of us,” she said. McKay hopes that people stopping by for a gift will also be able to pick up a cupcake to go along with it.