Inspiring Conversations with Shannon Ritter & Josephine Pfeiffer of Fleur De Lys Modern Mercantile and Fleur-ish by Fleur De Lys

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Ritter & Josephine Pfeiffer.

Hi Shannon & Josephine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We met while working at Saks Fifth Avenue, South Coast Plaza. Josephine was the General Manager, and Shannon was a Regional Trainer. We shared a vision of creating a specialty store rooted in our values and reflective of the community. We left Saks and created Fleur De Lys in 2004. We are still located in our original location on 17th Street in East Side Costa Mesa and we just celebrated our 20th anniversary last year in 2024. In our 20 history we have expanded three times. We doubled in size in 2009, and we opened a satellite children’s boutique in our shopping center in November 2024. Every growth decision we make is intentional and serves our vision of creating a preeminent retail destination that offers a multi-departmental assortment of meaningful and purposefully sourced home, gift, and lifestyle products. We are so appreciative of our community, who have supported us with their patronage and friendship over the years and have allowed us to do what we love every day. The fact that Fleur De Lys is still thriving and relevant is a testament to the people of Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and our surrounding cities, who value small business and make the commitment to shop local. We are so appreciative that we are part of a community who supports what we do. We love small business and we enjoy collaborating with other independent retailers and artisans in our area. We are stronger together. As we like to say, we are a small business that thinks big.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a beautifully scenic road, filled with more highlights than potholes, but certainly not smooth. Smooth would be boring! Part of the allure of owning a small boutique is that those of us who do it for any length of time, do it because we love it – and so we make it look easy. But if you ask any of us, we’ll tell you it takes a lot of work (unless we’re lying). When you love what you do, you start to see even the “bumps” in the road as opportunities to course correct. There is an entrepreneurial mindset that tells us, “There is no plan B, so figure out a way to make plan A work.” We are so committed to creating and recreating our vision every day that obstacles and struggles, in hindsight, are the things that inspire us to improve. We improved our way through a major recession in 2009 when we doubled in size. We pivoted our way through COVID 19 when we experimented with new ways to meet our community’s needs while on lockdown. And we’re in growth mode again now, even as the economy wavers and we’re all seeking some stability regarding tariffs and supply costs. Other than these big bumps, I would say the most prevalent and predominant challenge is staffing. Finding and retaining the right team is the most important, and not always the easiest, part of what we do. When you are surrounded by a team of good, talented, committed, and enthusiastic people, any obstacle is easier to overcome. We have been so fortunate over the years to always have a strong group of people on our team. People have come and gone (and come back again) over the years, but the right people always show up when we need them most (and when they need us). As a small business, we can’t compete with big corporations on salary, benefits, and stock options. But we can offer a life, not just a living. People who appreciate being part of a small business know that by working for an independent retailer you will be a significant part of a team, not just an employee number. We are always looking for people who want to be here and contribute in a meaningful way.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Our Manifesto
At Fleur De Lys we believe…
Shopping should be an experience.
Gifts should come from the heart.
Design should follow whim, not rules.
Customers should be treated like family.
Dogs should never wait in the car.
It’s not just the thought that counts, there should be gifts too.
Sharing dessert is overrated.
Life is a special occasion, always use the good stuff.

Our Mission Statement
We are here to have fun, be kind, be joyful, and generate abundance for all, while offering products that uplift and enlighten the everyday experience without compromising style, quality, or integrity.

Our Shop
Fleur De Lys Modern Mercantile on 17th Street is the neighborhood general store with a contemporary twist. The 3000+ square foot store features an exceptionally curated selection spanning 13 departments, offering a wide assortment of goods with a cohesive point of view. You can always find gourmet goodies to treat yourself or give as a gift. Pamper yourself in our beauty & wellness department, where you can sample cosmetics, skin care, and body products designed to enhance your natural beauty and improve your wellness. Delight your senses in our candle room, where we feature the finest quality candles and home fragrance collections from around the world. Throughout the store you’ll find a thoughtful and eclectic selection of gifts and items to elevate your mood and lifestyle across all our departments; kitchen gadgets, home décor, household necessities, jewelry, candles, books and now an expanded collection of children’s books & toys at our satellite shop Fleur-ish by Fleur De Lys located in the same shopping center. A visit to Fleur De Lys is always an adventure. It’s like finding everything you’ve been looking for all in one place.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
In almost every way that matters, we are still pretty much the 12-year-old versions of ourselves, in the best way possible. We are young at heart, and we love to have fun. If we’re together, you will most certainly hear us laughing. We like to refer to ourselves as stripes & polka dots because it sums up our personalities. One of us is highly organized, evenly spaced, and lined up neat and tidy, with the beauty of symmetry and order. The other is sporadic and spontaneous creativity, popping up everywhere all at once and in no particular order, with the grace and random elegance of nature itself. Together, like stripes and polka dots, we coordinate effortlessly and blend our talents to create an unexpected and delightful masterpiece. It’s this child-like ability to truly accept each other and embrace our differences that has kept us going strong and still enjoying what we do (and each other) for so many years.

Pricing:

• We offer an upscale luxury assortment AND a large variety of accessibly priced items for the sophisticated and practical consumer who likes nice things.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ShopFleurDeLys.com
• Instagram: @ShopFleurDeLys and @FleurishbyFDL

Image Credits
Samantha Fox