Local boutiques may have more to worry about these days than selling out of gameday outfits.The addition of upscale, corporate stores in Baton Rouge, such as Anthropologie, J. Crew and Urban Outfitters, is hurting some of the local shops.Erin White, owner of Posh Unique Boutique, said the new stores definitely affected her business.”There are just so many more stores here now and so many more options,” she said. “Before there was more traffic because there were not many options out there. Now, traffic has died down because so much more is available.”Kate Burns, owner of Material Girl, has also seen a decrease in sales. But she partially attributes it to the failing economy and rise in gas prices, she said.”We have seen a difference in sales but not a substantial amount,” Burns said. “I don’t think it is just because of competition. It is also because the economy is so unpredictable.”Though some boutiques claim the upscale stores haven’t affected their business.Lacy Thomas, Vertigo sales associate and fashion merchandising senior, said she hasn’t noticed a difference in sales.”Stores in Perkins Rowe are corporate brands,” she said. “Everything there is the same. Boutiques still offer more specialty-like things that Perkins Rowe does not have.”Bella Bella owner Elise Decoteau said in an e-mail the hurricanes are the only factor that has affected her sales.”My Bella girls keep coming back to see me,” she wrote. “I get new customers every day.”Whether the new stores or the economy is to blame, these boutiques must all strategize to keep their businesses afloat.White said these bigger chains can have more sales than locally-owned businesses, so she tries to lower her price points to remain competitive.”We have good prices because our customers range from high school kids to college students to moms,” she said.Material Girl also lowered the prices of its merchandise.”We mix our price point now,” Burns said. “We used to be above $100. Now we are introducing dresses for $20 and $30 for customers that can’t afford a $200 dress.”And this technique seems to be working.Emily Marsala, English junior, said she prefers to shop at local shops like Frock Candy rather than high-end stores like Anthropologie because of the lower prices. Although chains may offer similar styles and provide better discounts, local boutiques may still have an advantage.”We have the same stuff in our stores that you find in Perkins Rowe and Town Center,” Burns said. “But we introduce brands that are different and try to have local designers in our store when able.”Perkins Rowe owners even offered to move Material Girl from its close-to-campus location to Perkins Rowe, but Burns said she refused.”They may have nicer exteriors, but our location is golden because 80 percent of our customers are college students,” she said.And unlike the chain stores, which buy in bulk, local boutiques only purchase a few items of the same style.White said she tries not to stock too many of one item so everybody will not have the same outfit.”People will always favor boutiques because they do not have rows and rows of the same item,” said Laci Lemoine, English junior. “The items are more special because you won’t see 10 other people wearing the same thing.”Bella Bella also uses this strategy.”I sell boutique lines that you don’t see in mass retailers,” Decoteau wrote.  “And I generally don’t buy more than six of any item so you don’t see everybody wearing what you bought from Bella Bella.”Although these corporate chains sell designer merchandise and have better sales, local boutiques may still come out on top. Customers keep returning to local shops because these stores’ services and local feel set them apart from corporate businesses.”I buy for Baton Rouge events, lifestyle and our climate,” Decoteau wrote. “We give a lot of attention to our customers which is why people come back. Not to mention we have clothes, shoes and accessories all in the same stop so you don’t have to run to different stores all day to get an outfit together.”White said local stores’ catering to University students makes them unique and sets them apart from mass retailers. Posh, like most of the local boutiques, has entire sections devoted to purple and gold items to compete with the chains.Burns said her plan is to continue what she has been doing since she opened Material Girl six years ago.”We are just going to stay on our side of town and do our own thing, and we will be here for the long haul,” she said.- – – -Contact Drew Belle Zerby at [email protected]