Jenee Esquivel has relaunched her brick-and-mortar brand, Moxi Boutique, as Moxi the Label, an online business with a focus on handmade charm necklaces and limited women’s apparel.
Esquivel joins a handful of Baton Rouge clothing boutiques that have closed their storefronts within the last year. Since shutting down their bricks-and-mortar, many of the boutiques including Shop So Sis and H Kyle Boutique have pivoted to e-commerce businesses.
“Post COVID, people started the habit of going online and they didn’t look back,” Esquivel tells Daily Report. “People got super price sensitive. They looked for the cheapest option and that was it. There was less loyalty to local businesses. Especially now with the economy not doing great, people are struggling to buy their groceries, so asking them to spend $68 on a top is kind of a big ask.”
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Esquivel closed her storefront on Lee Drive in April 2024 after six years in business. She made the decision to close due to the cost of rent, overhead expenses and stress. By redirecting the brand to an online business, she expects less overhead cost, stress and potentially less revenue. She says her mental health and work-life balance is worth the potential decrease in cash flow.
All clothing for Moxi the Label will be shipped from warehouses in Los Angeles. Esquivel will no longer carry inventory for apparel. She assembles all of the charm necklaces at home and will sell them online and at local pop-up events. Next year, she plans to add embroidered T-shirts and sweatshirts to the online shop.
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After closing her brick-and-mortar and rebranding as an online business, Esquivel says she has learned many lessons.
“Slow down and scale at a pace that you feel comfortable with,” she advises other business owners. “It doesn’t have to be this big, bold, wonderful thing all at once. You can slowly expand.”
This story originally appeared in an Oct. 4 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.