Tabuena said the Adelaide’s Boutique locations—14870 Space Center Blvd., Houston, and 6011 W. Main St., League City—are meant to serve as customers’ destinations for clothes, shoes, accessories, gifts and other boutique items, many of which are locally sourced.
“We try to be a 'first-stop' place,” she said. “We try to cover all the bases.”
Adelaide’s Clear Lake location was the original—it opened in 2008—and the League City location celebrated five years of business in late October. The boutiques are known for their array of skin care products, candles and jewelry. Popular brands include the Capri Blue fragrance line, Gorjana jewelry, and Kendra Scott home decor and beauty items.
Tabuena said she keeps up with fashion trends via social media to curate the selection in stores. The goal is to provide shoppers with an experience similar to what they might find at an Anthropologie, she said.
Many items come from trips to the Dallas Market Center and the World Market Center in Las Vegas, but brands have not been offering their full lines at these market centers due to COVID-19, Tabuena said. She and Bull have shifted their ordering focus accordingly given the knowledge that they had to buy items earlier to ensure orders were fulfilled.
“We’ve ordered earlier [and] brought stuff in earlier to make sure we get it,” she said, adding that much of the stores' holiday merchandise will be winter-themed as opposed to Christmas-themed for this reason.
Another signature Adelaide’s find is footwear from Danish designer Ilse Jacobsen. The two Adelaide’s Boutiques are some of the only places in the area to carry the brand, since some fashion companies employ ZIP code protection to ensure selectivity, she said. People of all ages come in for the slip-on shoes, sold in a variety of colors.
“Most people get two, three, four pairs at a time,” Tabuena said.
A popular pandemic purchase for shoppers has been the “Send Some Happy” bundles, in which Tabuena and Bull package several small gift items together. These bundles will continue to be offered through the holidays, Tabuena said, and any items at either store can be shipped anywhere in the continental United States for free. They will also deliver items locally at no extra charge, Tabuena said.
The business will host holiday events this year, including one Dec. 3 during which shoppers create a wish list of items they want from the store. Those who do so will get a gift, and family and friends can return to buy gifts based on their submitted lists. Santa Claus will also make an appearance at the League City location Dec. 13, the owners said.
