Poppy’s of Atlanta celebrates almost four decades in business.

For Lindsay Wegener, majority owner of Atlanta retail establishment Poppy’s of Atlanta, it’s always been a family affair. “It’s been in my family since college,” she says. “My sister-in-law Alice Daniel owned the store, so I had an interest in retail early on.” In the mid-aughts at age 25, Wegener became the majority owner. Now, she’s ready for the Poppy’s of the future. Andrews Square, poppysofatlanta.com

What was the original spirit of Poppy’s in the ’80s?

I’d call it classic preppy: Ralph Lauren meets Lilly Pulitzer. We’ve always carried and continue to carry classic, timeless pieces. We cater to everyone from the grandmother to the granddaughter, and that’s what has set us apart from other boutiques that tend to be more age or trend specific.

Are there challenges to running a
legacy boutique?

We started with handwritten receipts and no computer systems. We now have an entire merchandising staff and went from four employees to 18. We’re so proud to be the oldest retail boutique in the city—and have stayed in the same location for 39 years. We owe a vast majority of that to our loyal customer base.

What’s new for spring?

We are constantly researching and buying new designers such as, this season, CeliaB, Cecilie Copenhagen and Annabel Ingall. Spring is about florals, bright colors, midiskirts and statement earrings. We added a shoe selection about five years ago and it continues to grow.

You know every customer who shops it seems!

The beauty of having been in business for 39 years is that we have grown close to our customers… they are also friends. We have seen life cycles; customers’ children grow up and now are shopping. My staff ranges from early 20s to 50s, so between us, typically there isn’t a face we don’t know who walks through our doors.

How has social media changed your business?

I really ramped this up about six years ago, starting with Facebook, and now Instagram. Our sales have grown significantly from our social media presence. We have a full social media team, including models, marketing and merchandising. This is a focus for us—Instagram helps us do giveaways and promote trunk shows and special events.