Want to shop with a glass of wine? A new ladies’ fashion boutique opening in Myrtle Beach
As Sonya Martin walked around the store, her dog Andy followed.
One of Martin’s four four-legged companions, which includes two black Labradors named Tex and Jet, the 11-year-old dog clung to her as she showed off the yet-to-open storeroom floor of Myrtle Beach’s newest women’s fashion boutique, Scout & Molly’s.
When she sat down for an interview at one of the desks in the store’s backroom, he jumped into the chair next to her before settling in a dog bed next to Martin and snoozing. His presence paid homage to the national boutique brand; its logo features a woman walking her two dogs.
While customers won’t experience it until the grand opening, there’s already an ambiance set for the women who will look to select a new outfit or peruse through dresses, floral blouses, leather and pleather jackets and pants, jewelry, bags, and other accessories and items. Jazz music quietly plays in the background.
The walls have a warm pink hue. Rugs seemingly pulled from the comfort of someone’s living room sit next to lounge chairs that allow shoppers to rest while their companions try out outfits in one of three changing rooms, possibly with a glass of prosecco or other wine in their hand.
The goal is to give women a space to shop, relax, and socialize in one space.
“I’ve always been a people person, servicing people, being around people,” Martin added. “I love spending time with my girlfriends, and I’ve always loved fashion.”
Martin added that personalizing the experience is also essential, adding that while some women shoppers know what they want, others don’t know what look they’re going for.
“Sometimes they would say they would never try this on. You could say, ‘Just try it,’” Martin said. “Then they put it on and go, ‘Oh my gosh, I wouldn’t, didn’t think I could ever wear something like this.’”
Part of that process includes customers receiving assistance from a one-on-one personal shopper that either captures the current cultural zeitgeist— one denim jacket on sale features artwork from Taylor Swift’s “Reputation”— or more classic looks. Indeed, the store also has clothes and accessories for college sports enthusiasts, including attire for Clemson and University of South Carolina partisans.
Mary Antonuccio is a stylist at Scout & Molly’s who previously worked for Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. She said that her objective is to give women shopping at the boutique fashion choices that they feel comfortable in and also expand their wardrobe when necessary.
“I always say this to women: we all have something. Whether they think their behind is too big, their legs are too big, or their arms or their shoulders, we all have something,” Antonuccio said. “It’s incorporating using your body shape and getting you the look you want.”
While a personalized experience, the national franchise isn’t Martin’s first venture into operating a clothing store. Martin previously worked at a locally owned boutique in North Myrtle Beach in the 1980s and used to operate Monkee’s of Myrtle Beach with her niece, who still runs the location. Martin, who grew up in the area, also served as a former South Carolina state parole agent who also worked on a state commission on drug and alcohol abuse.
The ribbon cutting for Scout & Molly’s takes place at 10:30 a.m. October 2, 2024, at 4377 North Kings Highway in Magnolia Row, Myrtle Beach, SC. The store’s hours will be Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 12-5 p.m. The plaza is dog-friendly.
