Downtown darling

In downtown Carrington there's a shop that instills confidence in females of all ages and offers them clothing and accessories to help them look and feel good.

Lioness is the Central City's downtown boutique, and it has become a destination shop for many women at a time when online platforms proliferated the retail industry.

Hope Carr, small business proprietor and downtown building owner, is the kind of person who does things her own way and at her own pace, listening closely to customer needs along the way.

She's owned her building located at 912 Main Street since 2004, which previously housed a floral shop and provided retail space for Gayle Kuss and Creative Treasures.

In 2016, as online shopping became mainstream and the number of people who shopped online reached 79% of the U.S. population, Carr was at a crossroads. Her downtown space was about to be empty, a reality she didn't want to accept.

At the time, this serial entrepreneur was working on another venture, her own clothing line. Carr had selected a brand and logo, Lioness, but quickly discovered that she knew little about how the mechanics of the clothing industry really worked.

In the midst of it all, Carr decided to learn as much as she could about fashion not by designing or manufacturing it, but by buying and selling clothing to keep up with the trends.

It all started with a pop-up, a temporary retail shop with a few items, to see how locals would respond. She also launched a website, knowing that online shopping was becoming more popular.

What she expected and what happened were two completely different things, however. While out-of-area customers were delighted to purchase clothing from Lioness, they did much of their shopping in person, not online.

The locals, meanwhile, responded in a way that she didn't quite anticipate either.

"It did surprisingly well, and I heard from so many people that it was such a needed thing in the community," Carr recalled.

Eight years have passed since that first pop-up shop opened on JunkFest day in 2016, and it's been a rollercoaster ever since.

What Carr quickly discovered, and studies prove, is that many people still prefer to shop in person for clothing if and when they can. In store she offers something for women and girls of all body types, sizes, ages and budgets.

Again, going her own way, she didn't keep regular store hours. She was available mostly by appointment and posted hours on a weekly basis, depending on her schedule.

Although the store was closed for walk-up traffic for nearly a year during the COVID-19 pandemic, Carr kept a keen eye on serving the community. During the pandemic, she scoured suppliers for N95 masks, safety goggles, North Dakota-made hand sanitizer and other products that were hard to find yet necessary for navigating the new reality.

The storefront reopened in March 2021 and for the first time she had regular store hours, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. That continues to be her schedule, for the most part, with some bonus days and store hours mixed in as she is available. Her hours are always posted on her Facebook page, Lioness.

At Lioness, customers will find clothing in women's sizes small to 3X, and even up to 5X in some styles. She also has an expanded kids selection, with mostly girls' apparel that changes with the seasons. From holiday dresses to warm puffy vests and jeans, her selection is both on-trend and customer-focused.

The store is also sprinkled with accessories, including a variety of jewelry, as well as cold weather accessories, such as hats, gloves and scarves.

The price points are as varied as the selection, with affordable seasonal pieces as well as high-quality staple pieces that customers can wear for years to come.

She is one of only a few boutiques in North Dakota that offer luxury clothing from fashion pioneer Joseph Ribkoff, which is made in Canada. Ribkoff's brand features high-quality pieces in contemporary styles worn by professional women around the globe. Lioness customers will find apparel made in the United States and Denmark as well.

Carr also makes it a point to bring in products made by regional artisans. Burnt Brim hats, Walley bracelets, cards and stickers by Herman Prints, as well as paintings by Linda Roesch, a regional muralist who painted the mural behind her building this past summer.

Local businesses like Carr's grow from local traffic, and the holidays are the perfect time to explore what they have to offer.

"Shop downtown businesses before you go other places," Carr said. "We depend on promotions such as Christmas Around the Town to get us through the slower times."

Christmas Around the Town is today, Dec. 2, and in the weeks leading up to the holiday, local merchants are hoping to see customers come through their doors.

"Shop now, when you see businesses open," Carr said. "Don't wait until tomorrow or the next time you come to town."

She also encourages customers to ask a local store owner to order something they may be looking for that isn't in store. After all, every dollar spent locally contributes to the health of the local economy.

She's looking ahead by going back, in a way. She wants to set up pop-up shops in other communities lacking boutiques, perhaps in the corner of a coffee shop or other local treasure where people gather. She recently tested the concept locally, opening up a small souvenir shop inside the Chieftain, Carrington's iconic hotel and restaurant, during the summer months.