Lisa Borden opened Gloss, a women’s clothing store, about a year and a half ago in the Promenade Shops at Briargate.

Since then, the recession has required her to make some adjustments to her business strategy.

Undeterred by the state of the economy, Borden plans to open a second shop in Alabama this fall.

Question: You opened up Gloss a bit more than a year ago, in the middle of a particularly challenging time in the economy. Did that give you pause?

Did you develop or amend your business plan to take the recession into mind? What demographic are you targeting?

Answer: We opened Gloss in November 2007 and celebrated a great holiday season.

It wasn’t until a little later that the economy took a downturn and made us reconsider our strategies. Gloss is a women’s boutique that specializes in premium denim. We currently carry around eight lines, such as True Religion, Rock & Republic, 7 for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, Paige, Hudson, Joe’s Jeans, William Rast, AG, and more. As far as our target market, it’s more varied than we planned – we now have many loyal guests ranging from ages 16 to 75.

Q: Have you found women more reluctant to buy clothes during the recession? Have you had to drop your prices? Have you noticed your suppliers dropping their prices?

A: We made some adjustments in the lines we carry and brought our price points down significantly on all tops, dresses, jewelry and handbags. We’ve found that people are still willing to pay for a great pair of jeans, then can pair it with a lower-priced top and accessories. Some regular-priced tops are now as low as $19. We also have a sale area.

As far as our suppliers go, we have noticed more of the vendors creating lower-priced designs, and the term “recessionista” has been a part of our daily vocabulary. Vendors have also become more flexible with their terms and are now more helpful if a style isn’t selling well.

Q: You began a vintage section in the store. Has it been successful?

A: We began our vintage section at Gloss at the beginning of 2009. Basically, women can bring in their lightly used premium denim that’s still in great condition and we will give $30 store credit for each pair we accept.

We then resell the denim in the Vintage section for anywhere from $50 to $90. It’s worked out great so far for many reasons: Women always have a pair or two of jeans that are too big, too small, or just didn’t fit right. Also, for those bargain hunters, it’s great to be able to find premium denim for under $100, and it’s exciting to get new items in daily.

Any denim we are unable to accept we donate to Urban Peak, an organization that benefits homeless youth.

Q: You are a locally owned business in a shopping center dominated by chain stores, including some offering women’s clothing. Has that been a particular challenge?

A: I think people like to see something a little different than what they are used to in a store. Normally, a boutique has less flexibility with return policies and exchanges, but we have had to adjust our return policy to be consistent with our surrounding stores. We basically want to make our guests happy with their purchases. As far as the differences between Gloss and chain stores, it’s been fun to be able to make our own rules. It’s not as common to go shopping and be offered a beverage or a snack and to be able to sit in the lounge and watch the plasma TV, which is what happens at Gloss. If we want to stay open a few hours later for a special event, we do it. We always come up with innovative ideas for events. Lately, we’ve done a Botox party, a tattoo and body art event with local company Pens and Needles, private wine tasting events, trunk shows, charity events and have even had a surprise engagement party at the store.

Q: You plan to open a store in Birmingham, Ala. Why there? How will you manage a store so far from your home base?

A: We originally planned Gloss to be replicated and are now opening our second location in The Summit in Birmingham this October. We’re excited at the opportunity and have built a great team of people who will be able to travel and oversee the stores. Since many businesses are pulling in and tightening down, it’s a great time to negotiate a lease.

Q: Has owning your own business been what you expected?

A: Being a mother of two boys, ages 4 and 5, definitely keeps me busy and Gloss feels like my third child. My previous career was in social work, so being in retail is such a change.

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Questions and answers are edited for space and clarity.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper is photographed with a full-page wrapped advertisement under the masthead, right, and the real front page at left, at Century World News in Los Angeles Friday, June 12, 2009. Photo by (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Reed Saxon