A shop for all seasons
Three generations of the Fashion Shoppe family: Seated is Betty Scott. Standing, from left, are Chris Scott Kiger, Sally Scott Cameron and Reeda Kiger Thorne.
Fannie Rinehart Whitlatch, who founded the Fashion Shop in Waynesburg in 1940, stands at the cash register in this 1967 photo, taken when the store added a balcony. Standing on the steps, row one, are Nelle Canan and Olive Meighen. In the second row, from left, are Thelma Wilson, Katie Ganier and Betty Scott.
Reeda Thorne, right, and longtime employee Carol Engle stand inside The Fashion Shoppe in Waynesburg.
WAYNESBURG – When a small family business reaches the age of 75, it’s a safe bet the owners have made a habit of doing things right.
While Waynesburg’s Fashion Shop’s three-quarters of a century in business is an admirable feat, its accomplishment is even more rare, given the shop’s participation in the fickle world of fashion that undergoes a complete change of clothes four times a year.
For the Fashion Shop, that 75 years equates to 300 seasons and counting. Most recently, it has slightly altered the spelling of its name to The Fashion Shoppe, a reflection of the addition of its online site.
The genesis of the store began 77 years ago, when Fannie Rinehart Whitlatch put a single rack of dresses on display in a Waynesburg hat shop in 1938.
Local women liked and bought what they saw, and two years later, Whitlatch moved to 41 W. High St. and launched the Fashion Shop, which has navigated the changing tastes of women for generations and countless iterations of styles.
Fannie successfully steered the shop for more than three decades, adding the first of two balconies in the late 1960s. She ran the store until her death in 1977, when her niece, Betty Scott, who had worked with her for years, became owner.
Scott ran the shop with help from her two daughters, Chris Scott Kiger and Sally Scott Cameron. Today, the two sisters, along with Kiger’s daughter, Reeda Thorne, operate the boutique. Sally Cameron purchased the business in the early 1990s.
Chris recalled how her great aunt kept the fashions fresh in the early days with frequent trips to wholesalers in Pittsburgh.
“Fannie took a bus to Pittsburgh every Sunday and came back with merchandise,” she said.
Sally recalled making buying trips with Fannie, who took a no-nonsense approach in dealing with clothing salesmen in Pittsburgh’s wholesale district and later at Monroeville’s Merchandise Mart.
Over time, the women made buying trips to New York and other cities.
“My biggest influence was my aunt, Fannie Whitlatch,” Sally said, describing her aunt’s approach with talkative salesmen as “Let’s cut to the chase” about the price.
The shop did well with its established customer base until sometime in the middle of the last decade.
The biggest change, said Sally, was when the store reached the point where it needed an infusion of new items for a new generation of shoppers.
“It had gotten stale and predictable,” she said. “Retail is tough, it’s not for the faint of heart. We needed to have more youth while maintaining our base.”
The store had longtime success with accessory-maker Brighton and decided to branch out and introduce handbags and backpacks from designer Vera Bradley, which ultimately opened the market to younger buyers.
One of those customers is Courtney Strope, 20, of Waynesburg.
“I like the Vera Bradley,” said Strope, who added that she’s been shopping at the store since she was 15.
Another key to its continuing success is the store’s position as a boutique, which enables it to attract customers from a broader geographic area.
“You can’t live in that little 10- to 15-mile radius by itself,” said Sally, who noted that today, the store draws regular shoppers from Wheeling, Morgantown and Fairmont, W.Va., as well as others coming from Pittsburgh and Ohio.
“These are day-trip people who may have relatives in the area,” she said. “It’s a specialty store that appeals to women who have time to spend the day out and make it a destination.”
She added the store has also seen an increase in telephone sales.
The business recently added a website, www.myfashionshoppe.com,, a necessity because the original domain name using “shop” was already taken. As a result, the boutique changed its name to Fashion Shoppe on its marketing materials.
Despite the online addition, the website doesn’t sell any merchandise, but shows viewers some of the items available in the store.
Chris and Sally believe that boutique stores like theirs generate sales by letting customers see, touch and try on the clothing and accessories they offer.
The other ingredient that keeps people coming back is something that many retailers talk about, but often fail to achieve.
“We’re 150 percent customer service,” Chris said. “From the time they walk in the door to the time they leave, everyone feels they’ve gotten the best customer service.”
One service feature that’s always been a fixture at the store is something basic, yet universally appreciated: free gift wrapping.
Male shoppers aren’t left out in the cold, either. Chris said the store keeps “wish lists” for its customers, making it easy for husbands and boyfriends to drop by and make a selection.
The other ingredient of a successful small business is that everyone involved is in agreement about the direction of the endeavor.
“We, as a family, work really well together,” Sally said.
“We’ve met our targets and we’ve grown every year.”
While Chris and Reeda run the store, Sally said she’s happy to work in the background “and try to take the administrative and planning weight off of them.”
And while they’re pleased with their success, they also agree that some more retail, including more fashion competition in Waynesburg, would be a good thing.
“When you have choice, it helps to bring customers in,” Reeda said. “If you don’t, they’ll say, ‘If I can’t find it at Fashion Shoppe, I might as well go out of town.'”
“You’re going to draw more people by having more retail,” agreed Sally.
But for now, she said they continue “to focus on our four walls,” and follow the formula of staying current and keeping an eye on the next big thing.
As most shoppers are continuing to add to their fall/winter wardrobes, the Fashion Shoppe crew is already buying for the spring/summer season.
“We’ve stayed relevant to the market. We’re looking for the next trend, and if it’s going to run, then ride it,” Sally said.
“We have great customers. They come in and have a great experience.”
The Fashion Shoppe, 41 W. High St., Waynesburg, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; it is closed Sundays. Telephone is 724-627-7407. For more information, access www.myfashionshoppe.com.