By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of April Ziegler Photography

The Blue Horse Boutique has revitalized a part of Wayne’s bustling retail row, a popular stretch of stores along Lancaster Avenue.

Chicago has its Magnificent Mile-one of the most desirable mecccas of shopping real estate in the world. For the Main Line’s top shopping town, Wayne, the highly coveted strip of shops along East Lancaster Avenue is known as ‘Retail Row.’ The stretch of stores, packed daily with moms, couples and Radnor Middle school students, starts with the GAP and ends with Liz Ayerle’s popular women’s boutique, Fresh Ayer (freshayer.com). It is considered the hottest, and priciest, piece of retail property for local developers.

This summer Main Liners were abuzz when a colorful and chic new boutique opened its doors on the ‘Row.’ And, the name and royal blue horse logo had a very familiar look. The Blue Horse Boutique evolved from the success of the popular Devon Hill Boutique, located in the Devon Hill BMW dealership. The boutique resonated so well with customers who were waiting in the service department, or just stopping on through, that the owners felt it was due time for a retail space on the Main Line.

The boutique is bright and spacious—and absolutely chocked full of one great gift after another. From kids’ toys to designer jewelry, hand-painted bar ware, shaving kits for men, funky fashion accessories and more it is a shopper’s dream come true. “We work very hard to find things that are different, that you cannot find everywhere. We want this store to be different than any other shop on the Main Line. What will drive Blue Horse is a unique selection, and that will make for an intriguing visit and experience for our customers each time they step through the door,” explained Courtney Davis, Blue Horse manager.

The boutique’s sprawling and colorful space can be rented out for baby showers, cocktail parties and private events.

Blue Horse owner Amanda Wetherill Holmes explained how the concept for the Wayne locale evolved from a booming retail space at Devon Hill. “We originally had the BMW product line in the boutique at the dealership (to start out) and we did well. So, we decided to add retail items to the store to grow the interest and inventory and it just took off. People would come to the boutique to shop-many who did not have BMWS, were not looking to have their car serviced. That’s when it clicked that we had done a good job with our product selection-so it just made sense for us to grow beyond the original concept.”

“Our goal is to be a destination for funky and cool, fun things,” explained store manager Courtney Davis. The boutique offers a wide selection of handbags, pet trinkets, jewelry, children’s toys, hostess gifts, accessories and more.

Wetherill Holmes’ skill for purchasing interesting merchandise that has a distinct Main Line appeal is no stroke of luck. Her family has owned and operated Devon Hill BMW for decades, so she understands the local consumer. In addition, Blue Horse was inspired by one of Amanda’s favorite retail gift shops-the now defunct national chain Blue Tulip. “I think there has been a void since Blue Tulip closed. It was one of my favorite local gift shops to stop in! So, I had that in my mind when I was searching for a location to open our first Blue Horse outside the dealership. First and foremost, we wanted a great space on the Main Line, we love Wayne. I came right in here and looked at Courtney and said, ‘Yes, this is it.’ Plus, I love green and bright colors; it creates a fun atmosphere for our customers. So, we took this opportunity and ran with it,” explained Holmes.

Formerly occupied by the antique store Age of Content, the space had been vacant for several months and was in dire need of a facelift. On June 18th Blue Horse opened with the anticipation of a fun, fresh retail space. Bright colorful walls, and eclectic selection of gifts and cute pick me ups (sterling designer jewelry, sunflower yellow enamel stack bracelets, cute preppy silk purses with seasonally appropriate designs, hand painted one-of-a-kind picture frames courtesy of Davis) make it a great quick stop for a hostess gift or a pick-me-up. “We’ve had so many people pop in and say ‘We are so glad you are here, it’s so refreshing. Wayne needed this,’” said Wetherill Holmes.

The friendly staff of Blue Horse: pictured l to r owner Amanda Wetherill Holmes, Vince Picciotti and manager Courtney Davis. The store will have an official grand opening celebration this weekend starting Thursday Sept 24th through Sunday September 27th.

The Blue Horse Club is a special customer promotion the boutique is offering-which rewards loyal shoppers. Once a member of the club reaches $1,000 in purchases, they receive 10% off each purchase for the remainder of the year-ending June 2010. In addition, the first shopper through the doors of The Blue Horse Boutique at 10 a.m. each day will receive 20% off the purchase of their choice! The store will have an official grand opening this weekend starting Thursday Sept 24th through Sunday September 20th. “Our philosophy is to revive this piece of real estate and work together with our neighboring shops. That makes the most sense and will benefit both of us. We are looking forward to a great fall and holiday season in downtown Wayne, the Main Line’s top shopping destination,” enthused Wetherill Holmes.

THE BLUE HORSE BOUTIQUE GRAND OPENING FOUR DAY CELEBRATION!
THURSDAY SEPT 24TH THROUGH SUNDAY SEPT 27TH
10-7 Thursday, 12-5 Sunday

Celebrate in style at Blue Horse Boutique this weekend as they will have a festive atmosphere for their customers complete with store specials, raffles, complimentary food, drinks and more!

Blue Horse Boutique is located at 118 East Lancaster Avenue in Wayne, PA. You can join their fan page on Facebook for more information. Their website, bluehorseboutique.com, is pending. Hours of operation are Mon-Sat 10-7pm and Sundays 12-5pm. To contact the store directly call: 484-654-1245 or 610-254-BLUE or email cdavis@devonhill.com.