When it comes to buying the most up-to-date clothing and home decor, there are many boutiques in Searcy that offer large selections of hand-chosen goods. I went to some of the most popular boutiques in town to find out what made each one special and what exactly they had that appeals to college students.
1.The Boutique
Located in downtown Searcy, the Boutique is unique due to their extensive collection of home decor and gifts. The store sells many items including bedding, wall art, furniture and even technology accessories. Their most popular item is their Coton Colors dish wear collection, which ranges from bright to more neutral colors and prints to solids.
College students are drawn in by the wide selection of coffee beans and fudge. The store sells 24 flavors of coffee beans that can be purchased and ground in the store. Each day, they choose a different bean as flavor of the day and offer a 12 ounce cup of the coffee for 60 cents. They also have between 10 and 12 flavors of fudge every day which sell at $12 per pound but can be purchased at any weight.
2.Bella Couture
Bella Couture is a clothes and accessories boutique located on Beebe Capps and is different in that it operates mainly as an online boutique. The online store was first opened by two Harding alumnae, who after a couple of years were able to open their physical storefront. Their most popular items are their tops and dresses, which include a variety of fun prints and bright colors for the spring season.
Their clutches are also very popular, and can be purchased at $25 for a plain clutch or an additional $7 to be monogrammed. The store is popular among college students not only because of their selection of clothing, but also because they offer a 10 percent discount to all Harding students who bring their student IDs.
3.Blackbird
Blackbird is a fashion boutique located on Beebe Capps across the road from the Harding campus. The pieces of clothing that can be found in Blackbird are what make the store itself unique, because many of the pieces cannot be found at any other store in Searcy. They do not buy many sizes of any piece, so the inventory is constantly changing and customers can always look forward to seeing something new.
The most popular items sold in the store are the Piko tops and printed leggings. The store offers 11 different colors of Piko tops including red, blue and olive green. Many college students visit the store to purchase spirit jerseys, a popular style of long sleeve t-shirt. Blackbird sells four colors of spirit jerseys which all have either “Arkansas,” “Searcy” or both words printed on the back.
4.Heart and Soul
Heart and Soul is a variety boutique located next door to Blackbird on Beebe Capps. This is one of the largest boutiques in Searcy in terms of quantity and variety of products. The store has an eclectic collection of home decor, beauty products, clothing, accessories and jewelry.
Some of their most popular items include their Capri Blue candles and their selection of Vera Bradley accessories, which is what many college students come in to purchase. The Vera Bradley selection includes backpacks, ID holders and many other types of bags. Other aspects of the store that attract college students are the Lenny and Eva leather interchangeable bracelets and the ability to create a bridal registry.
