It’s always a party at Chrissy’s on El Paseo. The moment you walk in, you are greeted with a warm welcome and a glass of rosé.
Last November, the woman-owned and -operated boutique celebrated an expansion. The women’s clothing store moved into a fresh space across the street, while the existing storefront has been revamped into Chrissy’s Kids & Gifts.
Customers can shop for everything from pickleball-inspired items to picture frames to stationary in the gift section. Children’s offerings include brands such as Rylee + Cru, Plush, Posh Peanut, Steiff, and more. Chrissy’s aims to “crush generations and seasons,” says owner Chrissy Armstrong, meaning they stock items for all generations at a reasonable price. The store also gives a 15 percent discount to first responders and teachers to thank them for the hard work they do for the community.
Here, Armstrong chats about the recent expansion, the new products, and community involvement.
What can customers expect from this new expansion?
We brought in a lot more brands that our customers have been requesting. We have Farm Rio, Johnny Was, Gretchen Scott, plus an amazing selection of shoes, accessories, and handbags. We also have the most extensive collection of denim in the valley with brands like Frame, Amo, DL1961, Paige, Hudson, and Pistola.
How do you curate products for your new outlet, Chrissy’s Kids & Gifts?
With Kids & Gifts, I really listen to the customers and what they want, and I try to fill the holes. There are other great stores around, but I try to fill the holes of what’s not available in the desert.
Owner Chrissy Armstrong.
Are you influenced by trends when sourcing products?
I am on fashion websites, and I follow stylists to make sure that I’m staying on the latest trends. When I go to market, the brands really help tell me and give me insight into what the hottest trends are going to be in regards to color, style, fit, silhouettes.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of the expansion?
Definitely the reaction from my customers and the community, the support that I have received, the positive feedback on our incredible selections. And being able to grow my team. I am exclusively woman-owned and -operated; I’m the owner, and my team is 16, and it’s all women from my accountant to my tax attorney, my social media, my website developer. To be able to lift these women up is incredibly rewarding.
How do you see Chrissy’s evolving going forward?
I’m working on building the inventory in Kids & Gifts and building even more brands. In the women’s store, we’re very involved in the community, and a lot of philanthropic organizations, and we love participating in fashion shows. We’d like to build on that in the future and get even more involved in the community.