CONTACT, 120 So Ridge St, Rye Brook, (914) 481-1910, contact-clothing.com
After three years in an off-the-beaten path Briarcliff strip mall, Contact, a chic women’s clothing boutique, relocated to Rye Brook’s lively—and newly spruced up—Rye Ridge Shopping Center. And just how has business been? “Unbelievable,” declares Marcie Kesten of Chappaqua, who co-owns the shop with Denise Zaccheo-Ozeri, a former Chappaqua resident. “The business we did in our first week here was equivalent to a month’s worth in our former location.”
Fashion fiends continue to flock to this shop. “You cannot find our things in a department store and we do not carry the same designers as every other boutique,” says Kesten. “Our customers tell us all the time about walking into a party wearing something from the store and having other guests ask, ‘Where did you get that?’” says Kesten.
So just what are all the party-goers wearing? Flirty little dresses in brightly colored prints from Hale Bob ($220); nearly see-through, design-imprinted tees from Erge ($55); and jeans from Rich & Skinny, Level 99, and the next-big-thing label, Tag.T ($100-$200).
“We are not pushy; we really care about what our customers buy,” says Kesten. “Our customers say it feels like they’re shopping with their girlfriends.” And if they want to do that for real, Contact hosts Girls Nights Out, in which groups of gal pals are treated to complimentary wine, cheese, and personal shopping services, and lots of retail bonding.
// Laurie Yarnell