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Business & Tech

Runaway Divas Put a New Twist on Shopping

Woodbridge business brings the boutique to you

Colleen Crane and Cheryl Burns love to shop. But like many of us born shoppers, they become frustrated when they see the same merchandise on shop racks week after week. 

It was that frustration that led the two ladies to start a business called Runaway Divas to get some of those boutique items into the hands of ladies in the Woodbridge area at a deeply discounted price.

"We wondered how these small businesses were going to stay in business if they're not able to turn over their inventory," says Burns. "We started talking with boutiques, asking them what they do with their overstock, how they recover cost, and we came up with this idea that could help them stay in business."

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Burns and Crane visit high-end boutiques and take their overstock for 90 days and sell it at home parties or at their warehouse storefront at 18B Selden Ave. in Woodbridge. They mark everything down 50-75 percent off and at the end of the 90 days, if the merchandise doesn't sell, it goes back to the boutique owner.

"Sometimes what a boutique owner will do, is find that an item sells like hotcakes," explains Burns. "They'll order a few pieces, and they'll be stuck with one or two pieces that don't sell. It's just one of those things."

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Runaway Divas carries styles that are both in season and out of season as well as many special items that only fit certain body types. The juniors and misses styles come from local shops and boutiques as far away as Nantucket.

Burns and Crane model a lot of what they carry, since it gives shoppers a better indication of what the clothing will look like on as opposed to on a hanger.

"At an event, we'll change our clothes every 15 minutes. I try on as many things in our inventory as possible so I can give our customers the best feedback on what fits, how it fits, how the sizing runs," says Burns.

"When we started out, Colleen and I were picking the things that we loved, and we realized that not everyone has our taste. Now we know to choose items in different styles," Burns says. "We take up to 50 items per boutique and pick a variety of styles to appeal to the masses."

The Diva Fort is open Thursday from 12 a.m. - 8 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m..

"We keep the warehouse bare bones because we want to be able to pass off the discount to the customer," Burns says.

Off-site parties can be held at one's home with a minimum  participation of the hostess and four individuals attending the party. A hostess receives 50 percent off their first item, and for every $500 their party makes, they get an additional $25 off additional items. If they don't want to have a party in their home, they can host one at the Diva Fort.

New merchandise comes in every week from designers including Nu Mark Anthony, Lundstrum, Ronen Chen, Ecru, Tart, Seven, Akkiko, Farinez, Koboys & Co. and much more.

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