Kathy Buck’s business has thrived and survived for almost 35 years, overcoming a store fire and a relocation along the way. Now Buck’s daughter Emily Preece is breathing new life into what the Monogram Lady store has to offer.
Buck first opened the store near Highland Mall, but the original Monogram Lady burned down three years after opening. Since then the store has been located inside a plaza on Far West Boulevard, providing an outlet for customers to decorate their homes and belongings.
At first most of Buck’s business involved monogramming backpacks, lunch boxes, duffel bags, garment bags and other items for children, she said. However, monogramming has become more popular in the past 10 years and is now used on even more products, Preece said.
“Within the last 10 years … the younger generation [got] more on board with it,” Preece said. “It’s more of a trendy thing to have. With Pinterest and Instagram, they’re really pushing that side, so people are seeing it more than [if they were] just going to their local monogram shop.”
Buck credits Preece for helping bring more customers and flair to the store, although the mother-daughter combo admits it is not always an easy task finding a balance between their two styles.
“The difference happened when Emily came on board [as a co-owner] and started doing the buying. She bought different than I bought,” Buck said. “I’m traditional, and she is out there. We fought about that for a long time, and she finally won.”
One of Preece’s recent buys is flip flops featuring soles lined with Austin-grown grass. She also added a variety of jewelry, clothing, trinkets, napkins with quirky phrases and candles that represent the smells of Austin’s neighborhoods.
“We’ve gone from being a children’s store with an ’80s style … and now we’re branching into being a trendy store. I have a lot of young girls come in and say, ‘This is my favorite store to shop in,’ Preece said. “I’m so impressed that they would say something like that.”
Monogram Lady tries to provide patrons with unique or local items not easily found in another store, Preece said. That paired with customer service makes the store special, she said.
Monogram Lady’s staple brands, such as YETI, Jon Hart, Vera Bradley and Simply Southern, are popular year-round.[/caption]
Brands to monogram: Monogram Lady’s staple brands, such as YETI, Jon Hart, Vera Bradley and Simply Southern, are popular year-round, co-owner Emily Preece said, with YETI products in particularly high demand. The store is filled with items that make for ideal gifts, including the recent addition of personalized gift bags, she said.
Preece and co-owner Kathy Buck’s desire to provide great products causes the store to become too full, Preece said.[/caption]
Inventory overflows: Preece and co-owner Kathy Buck’s desire to provide great products causes the store to become too full, Preece said. An almost-constant sidewalk sale helps make room for new items, but the duo is not considering opening a second location. With one location, the co-owners said they can guarantee high customer service, she said.
Most anything, from blankets to bags or cell phone cases, can be monogrammed.[/caption]
Fast turnaround time: Most anything, from blankets to bags or cell phone cases, can be monogrammed. The average turnaround time to monogram an item is a week, and the Monogram Lady team said they strive to finish even sooner. If a customer buys an item in the store, the monogram project can be completed even faster, according to Preece.
Monogram Lady’s staple brands, such as YETI, Jon Hart, Vera Bradley and Simply Southern, are popular year-round.[/caption]
Brands to monogram: Monogram Lady’s staple brands, such as YETI, Jon Hart, Vera Bradley and Simply Southern, are popular year-round, co-owner Emily Preece said, with YETI products in particularly high demand. The store is filled with items that make for ideal gifts, including the recent addition of personalized gift bags, she said.
Preece and co-owner Kathy Buck’s desire to provide great products causes the store to become too full, Preece said.[/caption]
Inventory overflows: Preece and co-owner Kathy Buck’s desire to provide great products causes the store to become too full, Preece said. An almost-constant sidewalk sale helps make room for new items, but the duo is not considering opening a second location. With one location, the co-owners said they can guarantee high customer service, she said.
Most anything, from blankets to bags or cell phone cases, can be monogrammed.[/caption]
Fast turnaround time: Most anything, from blankets to bags or cell phone cases, can be monogrammed. The average turnaround time to monogram an item is a week, and the Monogram Lady team said they strive to finish even sooner. If a customer buys an item in the store, the monogram project can be completed even faster, according to Preece.
