Meet Marshall, Denise, and June Boyer of Frenchy’s Fashions of Palm Springs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marshall, Denise, and June Boyer.

Frenchy’s was opened at its current location (136 North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs) in January of 1955 by June and Alexander Boyer. They were encouraged to open Frenchy’s by Alexander’s parents Eda and Joseph Boyer who in the late 1940’s operated a store in the 200 North Palm Canyon block called “Le Petite Paris”. Frenchy’s was named after Alexander’s mom Eda Boyer who’s nickname was Frenchy as she came from Nice, France where they owned several shoe stores. In 1955, June was all of 21 years old when she and husband Alexander opened Frenchy’s.

In 1964 the store was remodeled and doubled in size. Over the years Frenchy’s has had many stars and celebrities as customers yet Palm Springs still retained its charm as a quaint little village – perfect for a weekend of rest and relaxation or fun in the sun. In 1975 June’s daughter Denise and her husband Marshall came onboard to help out.

Today Frenchy’s is celebrating its 63rd Anniversary and is still owned and operated by the Boyer’s. June still opens most mornings while daughter Denise has done the buying and managed the operations for over 40 years. Four generations of Boyers including daughters, grand-daughters and nieces have worked at Frenchy’s. We have also been very fortunate to have a wonderful manager of over 30 years in Pam Ross who is like family and works well with a dedicated sales staff of ladies who possess years of experience, tremendous work ethic and exquisite taste in clothing.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Frenchy’s has been in our current location – 136 North Palm Canyon Drive – since 1955 so we have been through every natural and man-made calamity in the last 63 years. The earthquakes, fires, floods, riots, several economic downturns and stock market crashes have all been very challenging times that definitely test your faith and resolve.

Local struggles have been having our main mall across the street from our store closed for over 10 years (it just opened back up this year), the retiring of the nearby Fabulous Palm Springs Follies show and the demolition of the landmark Spa Hotel behind us.

Current challenges would be in the form of the discounters, outlets and online sellers.

The business of women’s fashions has never been a smooth road because it is constantly evolving and changing very quickly – much quicker than men’s fashions – so you have to be aware to look further down the road to anticipate changing trends. Major orders must be placed 6 to 8 months in advance to ensure delivery in the correct time slot required.

The timing of deliveries is very crucial to success as women’s fashions are actually very perishable from a standpoint of getting your merchandise on time or early in the season versus late.

The right product at the wrong time can be a recipe for disaster. I would also say that one of the most difficult aspects of our business is the constant never-ending exhaustive search for new vendors with unique styles, silhouettes and fabrications. It has to fit our criteria of quality with reasonable pricing and yet be different from what is in other stores. One of the greatest compliments a customer can get is if her friend asks “where did you get that ?” Frenchy’s !!!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Frenchy’s Fashions of Palm Springs – what should we know?
Frenchy’s -a Palm Springs landmark since 1955 features quality women’s apparel at affordable prices with exceptional personalized service. We specialize in contemporary cruisewear, resort wear and swimwear. Featuring the largest selection in the Coachella Valley of Onex shoes that are handmade in Los Angeles utilizing soles imported from Italy and accented with Swarovski crystals from Austria. Casually stylish Moroccan cotton, embellished denim and our unique collection of hand-painted washables silks are what sets us apart.

We carry stylishly fun shorts, capris, tops and jackets paired with a huge selection of waterproof poolside and beach sandals at the very best prices. Our newest arrivals are collections from Italy that feature cotton gauze dresses and silky flowing ruffle tanks, tops, skirts, pants and dresses dyed in many vibrant colors. We also feature amazing one of kind earrings that are handmade for us by Los Angeles artist Amy Lacombe – hand-painted and trimmed in gold or platinum and accented with Swarovski crystals.

We believe what sets us apart from others is a unique collection of clothing that is different than what you will find elsewhere combined with personal service to the customer. We offer gift certificates, layaway and beautiful gift wrapping made with bows created on an old-style ribbon/bow machine from the 60’s. We will take special orders and offer to ship to all 50 states.

We are most proud of the fact that a lot of our customers tell us that they shopped in Frenchy’s with their mothers and grand-mothers many years ago and have so many fond memories of doing so. We care about our customers and truly make every effort to make their shopping experience an enjoyable one.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We feel the most important quality or characteristic of our success and longevity has to do with taking care of our customers – from start to finish. Greeting a customer and making them feel comfortable – welcoming them to browse and feel the fabrics – and even thanking them for coming in if they just browsed and did not make a purchase today.

Customers always remember two things – when they are treated badly and when they are treated well. They avoid the businesses that treated them poorly and return to the ones that they enjoyed and felt appreciated. In business, you need to develop repeat customers that shop with you regularly year after year. We try to make every aspect of a transaction seamless and enjoyable whether it is a sale, exchange or return. Clothing purchases are wrapped in tissue and presented in a premium embossed bag or hung on a hanger and a cover for immediate enjoyment.

We also have a comfortable couch for the husbands with magazines and restaurant menus. We are also concierges for Palm Springs in recommending restaurants or attractions such as the Desert Museum, Ariel Tramway, local hiking trails or our awesome Air Museum. Our most important goal is to make our customers realize that their business is important to us and that they are a valued customer and that we appreciate their patronage.

The very best compliments we can receive is having a long time customer that has been shopping with us for over 20 years or a husband that says “when we come to Palm Springs – Frenchy’s is always her very first stop”.

Contact Info:

• Address: 136 North Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262
• Phone: 7603255686
• Email: [email protected]
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/frenchys-palm-springs-palm-springs
• Other: Frenchy’s

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