National Small Business Day Spotlight: Unique Boutique

CRESCO - Unique Boutique in Cresco is a lightly used clothing, small furniture, and home decor consignment store. With new ownership in the last seven months, the store is staying true to its original purpose and mission.

A consignment store is a resale shop that buys items from customers and resells them at a percentage to other customers. The business model helps keep barely worn clothing  and other items out of the dumpster, and allows for the previous owner to get money for items that no longer serve a purpose. Unique Boutique offers two options, pay-up-front (which means the items are assessed and the business pays for them right away), and regular consignment (where the seller will receive the money once the item has been sold in the store). 

Unique Boutique changed hands in 2023,  with Kelli Hovey taking over the business from her sister. Hovey grew up in Kendallville and graduated from Crestwood high school. She went on to practice as a vet tech in Colorado. The call of family drew her back home, where she landed a job as a vet tech in Decorah, before changing direction and teaching at NICC for eleven years in Calmar. Throughout this time Hovey felt like she “just needed a change”, and although she still loves and adores animals, she wanted to expand her skills. 

When her sister approached her regarding the sale of Unique Boutique, Hovey took her up on the offer. She still continues to keep up her vet tech certification. 

So far Hovey “enjoys getting to know people and creating personal connections” during open hours. Customers from Las Vegas, Florida, Minnesota, and all over Iowa come to shop. The inventory changes nearly everyday, with new items being put out on the floor.  Hovey expresses her deep appreciation for her employee and volunteer, Denise Steffen and Jackie Tallman, who help create displays while she works through sorting items. Her young family of five also come in to help support the business.

Unique Boutique is currently open Monday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tuesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Due to storage space, anyone looking to bring in items may only bring in two bags or two boxes per customer. This helps items move from the storage area to the floor easier, without overstocking.