By Samantha Murphy:
Chic and Sweet, a new women’s apparel clothing store, has brought simple elegance and designer clothing to the Hertel District. Chic and Sweet, owned by Annemarie and Zack Schneider, just opened its doors on August 1.
The store, located at 1453 Hertel Avenue, offers women conservative, professional, and quality clothing you can’t find anywhere else. Chic and Sweet carries 3 tiers of designer ware; high-end celebrity brands, like Tolani and Eva Franco, a middle price point and some younger, more affordable lines, such as Covet or Elan, which range from $30 to $80. Overall, apparel can range anywhere from $30 all the way up to $500.
After working in retail for over ten years, Annemarie Schneider decided to take her love for fashion and combine it with her expertise in retail to open up her own shop. Her husband and co-owner of Chic and Sweet, Zack Schneider, also has experience in running his own businesses, having run several of his own ad agencies.
Upon acquiring the space in late March and doing four month’s worth of renovations, the pair took the time to make sure things were just as they envisioned.
“We put a lot of time, thought and effort into researching our brands, researching our style for the store, and how we wanted everything to look,” Annemarie said. “We also looked at what everyone else in the area was offering so that we could add to their success in that way.”
Chic and Sweet only opened a few weeks ago, yet they are already seeing a great response.
“Business has been great,” Annemarie said. “We’ve gotten good response from the neighborhood and from the other shop owners welcoming us and supporting us. We’ve already had a lot of feedback, both online and in the store.”
As for their location on Hertel, they couldn’t be any happier.
“We love Modern Nostalgia and the rest of the fashion boutiques,” Zack said. “Hertel has really become a shopping district for boutique stores and we wanted to add to that.”
Annemarie added, “The perception that Hertel is just antique stores is quickly changing. There’s so much more going on. There are women’s shops, house ware shops, salons, florists, everything. It’s a perfect little neighborhood.”
Annemarie also noted all the positives that come along with shopping locally.
“You get one on one customer service, you’re contributing to your local economy and you’re ensured that you’re wearing something unique and different that 5,000 other people don’t have,” she said.
As for their future plans, the couple would like to see the area continue to flourish and are exploring some of their own options as well.
“We’re just looking ahead,” Annemarie said. “We’re thinking about possibly developing our own line, or expanding into menswear or footwear.”
In a month or two, the couple also plans to launch their own e-commerce website, where clothing and accessories could be purchased online.
Chic and Sweet
1453 Hertel Avenue
Buffalo NY
716-393-2442
You can visit their website at www.chicnsweet.com or on their facebook page.
Store hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Thursday: 11:00-7:00
Friday: 11:00-8:00
Saturday: Noon-6:00
Sunday: Noon-4:00