Despite a downturn in business at women’s boutique Scarlet Begonias in the small row of shops in Flourtown, owner Karen Phelps, 63, is optimistic about business coming back. Phelps is drawing some attention with an oversized banner out front stating “50% Off, Celebrating 10 Years in Flourtown.” 

She set a goal 10 years ago of fully owning her 1700-square-foot shop, the apartment above and rear warehouse at 1512 Bethlehem Pike, and she has achieved that goal. “What I used to do in a day I now do in a week, but still I’m feeling blessed. I own the property and have had more than 20 clients call to check in on me, saying, ‘I was thinking of you today, and I’ll be back,’ That makes me feel really, really good.”

But the reality is that weddings, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs and other social and religious events have been cancelled in large numbers, and Phelps is feeling it. “People aren’t really going anywhere, so they aren’t spending money on clothing. Some come in and want a little gift or something more casual,” she said, although she has been selling designer masks and posting them to Facebook and Instagram.  “Even though there is a sale in progress, Scarlet Begonias is very quiet. Everyone seems to be regrouping at home. Many are opting to focus on home improvement projects and are in the nesting mode. Some will come back skinnier and some heavier, and we will be here to fill their needs. We will all need something new and fresh soon.”

With 1400 square feet of sales floor space, the boutique owner is very much aware of following the CDC guidelines. “We have shortened our hours to 10 to 3, and I will absolutely make a private appointment for anyone who has concerns about the virus,” said Phelps, a Lower Gwynedd resident. Her husband of 31 years, Jim, is her maintenance guy. 

The business actually started in 2004 when she and her best friend, Linda Thompson, decided to set up a store in Phoenixville featuring home décor and offering interior design services, as Thompson lived in Kimberton. “I had been the National Sales Director for a fine jewelry company, but after 911, I decided I didn’t want to travel like I had been doing every week and developed my exit strategy,” said Phelps.

Thompson got remarried and moved with new her husband to Florida but didn’t like it and moved back again. She is no longer in the business, but they are still the best of friends. “We talk every day.” The pair brainstormed on a name for the store, and they settled on the Grateful Dead song to name their shop because it had a nice ring to it. 

“When Linda relocated, I sat in my living room and drew a circle on a map as I wanted to be within 10 miles of home and not within the city limits. I found Flourtown to be the perfect fit,” said Phelps, who credits the Small Business Association with helping her start her business and forgiving $17,000 in closing costs that helped her make the purchase. 

Because of the pandemic, Phelps has had to cut back on staff hours, and that was hard. “Luckily, my staff are more mature people who are retired from careers, so it hasn’t affected them as a primary source of income. And because I own the property, I’m one of the lucky ones. I think we will chalk 2020 up to a year when you take a hit and hopefully regroup and be better and stronger in the end. We have a really loyal clientele base, and clients have become friends ... I love my store and can’t even think about retiring.”

Scarlet Begonias also has an in-store greeter in the form of a two-and-a-half year old Corgi named Diva.

The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays. To make a special appointment, call 267-682-0839 or email karenphelps@comcast.net. Flourtown resident Barbara Sherf can be reached at communicationspro.com