An interview with Lucie Poole:
Ruby Red Boutique 

Kenna Jordan-lee Zarebski

 

Shopping in Lincoln varies from your typical high street stores such as River Island, Topshop and New Look, to smaller boutique shops heading up towards Steep Hill.

 

Finding the right places to shop can be difficult for any student, especially when on a budget. You get shops such as Topshop which offer 10% student discount, however their pricing of clothes is still rather high. This is the same for River Island, which doesn’t offer any student discount at all.

 

Lincoln has many lovely boutique shops in the Bailgate area, however: these cater for more mature women rather than students and can be quite pricey due to the big brands they sell. One shop that stands out to me in Lincoln is Ruby Red Boutique.

 

I have shopped at Ruby Red a number of times and love it. My favorite item that I have purchased from the boutique is my pink, black and white dress which to some of you may look familiar. This dress is pretty much identical to the 'Francesca' Baroque Print Pencil Dress from House of Celeb Boutique. Their Francesca dress retails at £110.00, whereas I bought mine from Ruby Red for a bargain price of £30.00!

 

You will find Ruby Red Boutique nestled at the bottom of Steep Hill. Not only is the fashion there affordable, they also offer 10% student discount, making it even cheaper! You can’t miss Ruby Red, it is just as pink on the outside as it is on the inside and with its unique décor it is sure to catch any feminine girl's eyes!  

 

Owner Lucie Poole, 36, from Lincoln, had never worked in fashion before opening Ruby Red. Lucie spoke to me about her business that has grown over the last eight years and discussed why she is so happy with it.

 

“As a customer, there actually wasn’t much in Lincoln. We all love the high street but it’s always nice to find another little place. I thought it would be a good addition.”

 

Lucie added: “I’m a really girly girl, I like pretty things and this shop is quite girly and feminine and we sell a lot of pretty things. I do find it really hard to sell something I hate, so I suppose it is quite a personal thing.”

 

Lucie explained if there was anything she could change about Ruby Red, what it would be and why.

 

“I would love to pick up the shop and plonk it down the middle of the high street but we have a good location. I’d maybe have more dressing rooms so people don’t have to wait as long on busy days. I do love the shop and I’m pretty much happy as it is.”

 

Being a chatty person, Lucie loves customer service. The friendly staff are happy to help you, which makes Ruby Red an enjoyable place to shop.

 

Along with it’s vibrant pinkness, Lucie discussed what stands out to her the most about Ruby Red.

 

“There’s a lot of boutiques up in the Bailgate area but they cater for people with the more classical style and sell expensive, big brands. Ruby Red is high street fashion but it’s not mainstream and doesn’t look like other shops on the high street. It’s quite quirky and people love it, they tell me it looks like a house.”

 

She added: “I’ve not been in a shop that’s decorated and looks quite like this. It’s got its own personality and that’s the thing about independence, the owner can put their stamp on the shop.”

 

People who enjoy shopping won’t want to see the same thing in stores twice. What would be the fun in that? Lucy explained how she always changes what Ruby Red has to offer. Every week there will be new clothes and gifts, so every time people come in there should be something different.

 

For most fashion stores the busiest time of the year will be around Christmas. Lucie said this is the same for Ruby Red, especially when the Lincoln Christmas market is on. The style of merchandise in Ruby Red is what some may call very edgy, vibrant and up to date fashion. Around Christmas the store will stock winter clothes, however Lucie said that she always sells strappy little dresses, as there is a market for girls wanting them all year round.

 

So for you girls who love to go out partying and still wear little dresses over those cold winter months, Ruby Red will cater your needs! 

 

Lucie said: “When it turns spring and starts getting warmer we get girls coming in wanting to shed their winter wardrobe and buy something pretty to wear for barbecues and beer gardens. We do get a lot of tourists over summer as well.”

 

Lucy explained that the biggest range of customers who shop at Ruby Red are those aged between 18-24 and then 25-35.

 

She said: “We really are that kind of typical student store.”

 

Lucie finished by telling me what her main highlight has been since first owning Ruby Red eight years ago.

 

“There’s nothing I could pin point out, it would probably have to be watching the business grow from nothing and having no real experience in fashion. To see it grow and become popular is brilliant. We were proud to know we had managed that.”