By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
In a continued expansion program, western Kansas-based Bling Inc. has announced the opening of its newest location, bringing their unique apparel and accessories to the Kansas City area.
Opened last Thursday, the location in the Hawthorn Plaza, 4949 W. 119th, Overland Park, will be a part of the chain that began just seven years ago in Scott City, and has quickly become the largest privately owned boutique in Kansas.
“People had asked for it for so long. We kind of go off of what people are asking for,” said Nicole Campos, owner.
Campos was initially nervous about expanding in a location so far from the chain’s headquarters in Scott City, but with people driving from KC to shop in the Hays location and a district manager based in Hays, Campos said she decided to pull the trigger.
“She has done such a phenomenal job that I felt like we were at the point where we could take the leap and get farther away from us,” Campos said of Sammy Grollmes, district manager.
And the location, she said, is a perfect fit.
“It’s definitely a busy area,” Campos said. “Hawthorn Plaza just felt right. It’s kind of in the middle of a lot of different shopping centers.”
The center is both a retail center and has restaurants that complement the store, she continued.
And since last Thursday’s opening, the store has had a warm reception.
“It’s so cool because we’re having plenty of new customers,” but they have also seen customers from other locations coming in, Campos said.
While opening seven locations since its inception, Campos said getting to this point was full of ups and downs.
Just a year and a half ago, a warehouse fire destroyed inventory for the entire chain.
“We lost all the merchandise for all the stores going into fall,” Campos said.
But after the incident, they saw “tons and tons of support.”
“That was kind of a turning point, and we knew we were going to keep going,” she said.
Soon after recovering from that loss, the location in Hays was closed after a partial roof collapse in Big Creek Crossing destroyed that location’s inventory.
Again, with support from loyal customers, Campos said they kept moving forward.
“The community support in Hays, I always say it’s definitely one of my favorites, because the community supports us, the people support us like crazy,” she said, noting people would drive to other locations while the Hays location was closed.
“It’s just been wonderful,” she said of the support the chain has been given over the years and even as the newest location gets on its feet, future expansion is already being planned.