“I want to get to know them by name, and get to know their children and grandchildren,” says Marty Wilson (pictured far right) of her customers at The Carousel Children’s Boutique. Also pictured are Marty’s mother, Margaret Axtell, and daughter, Alex Wilson Chuckney.
A personal, intimate shopping experience. That’s what one mother-daughter duo set out to create in 1991 when they opened the doors of the Carousel Children’s Boutique.
Now, twenty-five years later, the Merchants Square business is thriving, drawing customers in with the quality and uniqueness of handpicked children’s clothing. Carrying 300 different product lines, the daughter of the duo, Marty Wilson, wants customers to find exactly what they’re looking for: the perfect dress for a birthday party, a distinguished button-down for the first day of school, or movable shorts for an afternoon in the park.
The boutique specializes in providing a selection of classic styles and contemporary new designs, what Wilson calls “high-quality, beautiful clothing.” But it also specializes in close, tight-knit relationships, the kind of relationships that have kept customers coming back for twenty-five years.
“We want to acknowledge every single person who walks in,” Wilson says. “I want them to smile. I want them to feel welcomed. I want to get to know them by name, and get to know their children and grandchildren.”
Though Wilson’s mother, Margaret, has since retired, they still consider the Carousel a family business, especially since Wilson’s daughter manages the boutique’s marketing and social media communications.
“I hope our business continues on,” Wilson says. “Because we’ve been here for twenty-five years, we’ve seen generations grow up. I love when a mother or a daughter says, ‘I shopped here when I was little.’ Our boutique holds memories. I love that.”
The Carousel Children’s Boutique is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit online at carouselchildrens.com.