One Year Later, ‘Nantucket Monogram’ Owner Continues to Evolve Customer Experience

When third-generation seamstress and interior decorator Brooke Boothe decided to move her monogramming business from Nantucket to downtown New Canaan one year ago, her primary goal was to be right where her typical customers frequently shop. Nantucket Monogram debuted as a pop-up shop last November and by the end of January, Boothe and her daughter made the move to New Canaan permanent.

Now settled at 1 Morse Court, Nantucket Monogram has expanded from a retail store offering embroidery services to a destination that also appeals to residents looking for custom design and home furnishing services or to hone their own sewing and embroidery skills. Boothe said the decision to expand the scope of Nantucket Monogram’s services over the past year stems from the stiff competition that small business owners face from online retailers.

“The business has been well received, but it’s just like any brick-and-mortar right now where it’s hard to get people in the door,” she told New Canaanite. “My goal right now is to just let everyone in New Canaan know that I’m here, and whether they use me or not, I just want them to know that I’m here and that I do a good job.”

Boothe first fell in love with fashion as a child growing up in Bronxville, NY. “My mother was an interior decorator when I was growing up, so I kind of grew up with that,” she said. “It was just kind of second nature when it came to fashion design and interior design.”

After attending the University of Mississippi and the Fashion Institute of Technology, Boothe opened her first interior design business in Austin, in 1994, and after moving back to New England, she began offering monogramming services in Nantucket in 2006. She opened Nantucket Monogram’s first physical location in 2009.

Boothe’s original decision to move Nantucket Monogram to New Canaan was a deliberate one—it was based on a ZIP code analysis that revealed that more than half of her business stemmed from Fairfield County-based residents. And once it was time to choose the town in which to open her business, New Canaan stood out.

“New Canaan, to me, just seemed like such a destination to shop. People come from neighboring towns to have lunch and to shop [here],” Boothe said. “So, when I started looking at the school system and everything, it just made sense to be here and it has very much the same kind of characteristics of Nantucket— everything is just very close by and it’s been great.”

Finding the right location and customer base, however, hasn’t erased the challenges of running a small business in today’s climate. Boothe has been working hard to let customers know that Nantucket Monogram has more to offer than blankets, pillows, mugs, and napkins. Along with these items comes a level of customer service that just isn’t experienced very much anymore.

“There’s the experience, the attention to detail, and the customer service that you’re going to get when you come here,” Boothe said. “People really enjoy [that aspect] and when they leave, they realize that it was worth their time to come in. People seem to be really happy with what I do. With overhead being so expensive, you want [success] to happen sooner than later, so I’m trying to be creative. I want to be different.”

Boothe has been teaching sewing classes for both children and adults at Nantucket Monogram, as well as hosting birthday parties and sewing parties for adults where guests can create their own pencil cases, clutch purses, or baby pillows. She’s currently working on adding a feature to the company Web site that allows customers to register for classes.

She has also expanded the number of grab-and-go items that already come monogrammed, such as coasters, soap dispensers, and stationary, and she recently debuted a pillow bar where customers can choose the shape, color, fabric, and size of pillows they want, which Boothe then sews herself. (All of Nantucket Monogram’s embroidery services are done in-house.)

Boothe said she is also finding new ways to incorporate technology into her business to offer more convenience to her customers.

“One of the things that I thought would be good for the holidays that I’ve already started doing is Facetiming with customers,” she said. “I can walk them through the shop. I tell them to grab a cup of coffee, get the kids off to school, have their list ready, and then we’ll just place an order. And it’s done amazingly well because it’s time efficient for everybody. And since I’m the owner and I’m here most of the time, it’s kind of a treat for people to have my undivided attention.”

Another feature that sets Nantucket Monogram apart for other monogramming businesses, especially those found online, is that Boothe is more than willing to embroider items that customers bring to her from home.

“I don’t think people realize that you don’t have to have to buy items here. I mean, I’d love it if you bought something, but we’re also happy to take outside items,” Boothe said. “That’s one of the things that’s making me stand out from other people. I’m just trying to make sure that people know that they’re getting quality when they come in here and that the customer service is amazing.”

And if you’d like something monogrammed that you don’t see in the store, just ask. “Even if you need a monogrammed rug for your golf cart, I can do it,” Boothe said.

As far as Nantucket Monogram’s relationship with other business owners and the town itself is concerned, Boothe said she’s been welcomed with open arms, but feels she has more work to do in making her presence well-known.

“The [New Canaan] Chamber of Commerce, as well as my neighbors have been fabulous. The Whitney Shop has even referred people to me, which is so sweet, but about three weeks ago, I was walking around [town] and introducing myself to people, and out of the four shops that I went into, no one knew I was here and I’ve been here a year,” she said. “But at the same time, I work a lot and it’s been hard to get out and meet people, but I want to change that.”

One of the ways that Boothe hopes to meet more residents is by hosting charity and private events at Nantucket Monogram in the future. She’s also looking forward to meeting new people at the New Canaan Nature Center’s Holiday Market on Dec. 6 and 7. “This is where I live, so I want to be a part of the community and I want to be involved,” she said.

Nantucket Monogram is open Monday thru Saturday from 10-5 and will be open on Sundays from noon-4 during the holiday season. Visit nantucketmonogram.com for more details.