University graduate Donnie Alfred went from studying nuclear science to owning a lifestyle boutique with some of the most exclusive brands in the Baton Rouge.
Alfred started selling T-shirts to a small clientele, but after realizing he could be successful doing this, he decided to put off his career in nuclear medicine and open his own store.
After seven years of profitable business in his first store location on Government Street, Alfred moved his lifestyle boutique Private Stock to its new location to College Row at Northgate.
Though most of the clothes seem to be geared toward men, with mostly collared polos, Oxfords and loose T-shirts, Alfred said the brands he carries are also marketed to women and he sees a mixture of both demographics every day.
The store’s inventory is mostly focused around T-shirts and tennis shoes as well as Oxford and polo shirts, though Alfred said he only carries the best of the best in these items.
Alfred said in his time at the previous location, he sold to Baton Rouge entertainers, DJs and even high-powered lawyers. Over the years, one of his biggest clients has been the LSU football team, he said.
“The players used to pack into three or four cars and make the trip to Government to buy from me,” Alfred said.
In comparison to many larger retail stores in Baton Rouge, Alfred said he is particular about the designs he sells and is loyal to only a handful of brands. But his critical nature in choosing what he sells has only built a stronger connection with the designers he pushes, he said.
In fact, Private Stock is the only store in the city where shoppers can find the brands he sells, Alfred said. These brands include The Hundreds, 10 Deep, Billionaire Boys Club, Staple and Stussy as well as overseas brands such as Marshall Artist from the United Kingdom.
“These [brands] are really stingy with their accounts,” Alfred said. “They don’t want every store to be selling it otherwise it wouldn’t be exclusive anymore.”
Exclusive is the word that sums up Private Stock. Alfred said he only markets to 10 percent to 20 percent of the retail market that wants to buy some of the best brands in the world. He said he has even refrained from advertising because he wants to keep the idea of exclusivity and the quality of his clothes intact.
“For the last seven years I’ve been telling people if you can bring a better cardigan back to me after the one you just bought from this brand I’ll buy it back,” Alfred said. “No one has ever even tried.”
Also, the brands he sells come out with new lines every six weeks instead of three times a year like most generic retail stores, he said.
Though he sells higher end clothes, Alfred said he knocks the price down on some shirts after they have been on the racks for a while. The price range for most of the clothes at Private Stock is $20 up to $80 for a shirt. Private Stock is also the only clothing store in Baton Rouge that accepts TigerCASH.
The theme of the store seems to revolve around a mixture of LSU sports and hip-hop. The layout has original aspects such as a medium size fridge full of T-shirts and Oxfords hanging in a makeshift wooden basketball locker.
Every shoe the store sells is displayed in its own plastic case, arranged on the walls of the boutique. Alfred said the distinctive shoes are what draw most of his female shoppers.
Looking back on his years in retail, Alfred said he was originally just an LSU graduate who wanted to make a little money selling quality t-shirts for all sizes. After realizing he could make a career in higher end retail as a young man, he decided to open his first store. With years of expansion, his customer base grew leading to the current location of Private Stock.
You can reach Michael Tarver on Twitter @Michael_T16.

Gallery • 13 Photos

Sam Karlin

Customers browse at Private Stock Lifestyle Botique's new location at Northgate.