What's Selling In: Prospect, SA

Deborah Somes believes there's been much change in Prospect since her boutique first opened eight years ago. On a personal level, the Dancing Road Boutique owner says she seen children grow into customers, daughters into mothers and young couples into newlyweds. On a business front, however, the picture is a far less rosier.

"There's been a high turnover of boutiques," she explains, noting many of them were situated along the fashionable Prospect Road. "A lot of them haven't stayed the distance. I think I'm a survivor because I look after a broad spectrum of people."

Describing her store as more like "Aladdin's Cave" than "one of those sleek chrome things", Somes caters for women aged 18 to 80 with casualwear, daywear, denim and loungewear all on offer. Tyee, Wakee and Metalicus are top sellers along with staple items like trackpants and casual tees.

"I used to carry a lot of high-profile labels in the past but some of them started supplying boutiques down the road. Once those boutiques folded, they tried to come back into Dancing Road but of course, it just wasn't going to happen."
Somes says before fashion-forward boutiques descended onto Prospect Road, where her store is also located, the area was populated with supermarkets, pharmacies and general stores.

"It's still more like a village here, not like a major city street," she says. "That's why people love coming here - everyone knows each other and it's quite casual."

Vanilla Boutique sales assistant Annabel McLoughlin agrees the village vibe is a strong drawcard for customers.
"Prospect isn't far from the city which has all the big chain stores and department stores," she says. "But we still get people dropping by from the city for a good shop."

Like Somes, McLoughlin believes her boutique caters for a broad range of customers; from young brands such as Ladakh, Lili and Sass to labels such as Fifi, Ping Pong and Vigorella. The store, which has been operating under a new owner for eight months, also has a second floor dedicated to formal and eveningwear.

"Everyone in Prospect does their own thing," she said. "Uber Chic and Chilli Mint, which are up the road from us, are a little bit more expensive where as we're a little more varied. It's a good mix."

Location: 4km north of the Adelaide
Population: 20,354
Stores:Vanilla Boutique, Dancing Road Boutique
Brands:Ladakh, Ping Pong, Muchacha, Lili, Sass, Yarra Trail, Tyee, Wakee, Metalicus.

By Assia Benmedjdoub