In a cloudy economy, Lodi entrepreneur Tammy Blair shines - Lodi News-Sentinel:

In a cloudy economy, Lodi entrepreneur Tammy Blair shines - Lodi News-Sentinel:

In a cloudy economy, Lodi entrepreneur Tammy Blair shines
Tammy Blair, owner of Fashion Safari, opens up a second store

Katie Nelson/News-Sentinel
Tammy Blair, owner of Fashion Safari in Downtown Lodi, on Friday, July 1, 2011.
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Posted: Saturday, July 2, 2011 12:00 am | Updated: 9:20 am, Sat Jul 2, 2011.
By Katie Nelson

News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Lodi resident Tammy Blair likes glitz and glamour — and she is very good at selling it, too.
On a warm Friday morning, Blair had just opened up her store for the day. Before any customers arrived, she headed over to a display in her store and looked over which bracelets or necklaces she wanted to use to accessorize herself for the day.
“Everyone needs a little something,” she said, as she selected a silver multi-ringed bracelet and slid it on her wrist.
Blair knows what it takes to make a business flourish — she’s been marketing her Fashion Safari line for 25 years. And she just opened her second business in Downtown Lodi — a rare feat in a still-recovering economy.
When she moved to Lodi in 1988, Blair was determined to continue to be a part of the fashion industry — a lifelong love she said she will always want to be a part of.
In October 2003, Blair settled into a small section of a building on North School Street, where she filled her store with every kind of accessory imaginable, from purses to piercings. Just two months ago, Blair found the perfect spot to expand her merchandise — just 100 yards up the street, where John Borelli Jewelers was going out of business after 35 years. “I saw the sign the day it went up, walked back to my store and called (building owner Dave Kirsten), and told him I wanted the spot for the new store,” she said. “I knew it was the perfect location to expand.”

With just five employees between the two stores, Blair’s business is booming and is somewhat of a beacon of light in a time that has otherwise been plagued by a difficult economy.
In fact, Blair has managed to turn a profit at both her old and new locations.

Lodi resident Kristine Meissner, who wandered in to browse the new store Friday afternoon, was not only greeted by Blair, but before long the women were chatting about belts and Fourth of July weekend plans.
Meissner said Blair’s passion for fashion and ability to be hands-on in the business keep customers from all over returning to purchase the ever-changing merchandise options.
“What can you not like about this store?” Meissner said as she looked around. “This store is every woman’s dream.”

Currently, Blair’s Fashion Safari boasts over 700 types of handbag options between her two stores as well as countless types of jewelry, clothes and hats.
Not only does Blair work in her two stores selling her products locally, but she also markets her products in multiple locations throughout the northern California area, including retailers in Sacramento.
“She is a small business entrepreneur and is part of the success of small businesses that are alive and well in the Downtown area,” said Pat Patrick, president and CEO of the city’s Chamber of Commerce. “That is a very positive aspect economically speaking and it is also a credit to her business abilities.”

Blair’s expansion is considered a positive sign of how the economy is rebounding in the Downtown area, according to Jaime Watts, executive director of the Downtown Lodi Business Partnership.
Watts said that not only has Blair been able to sustain herself financially at one store, her business tactics and her networking have allowed her to expand — something other businesses are beginning to do as well.
“In the last year, a lot of businesses have been opening up in the Downtown area. The section on School Street between Pine Street and Elm Street is especially is hoppin’. At one point, there were a lot of vacancies but now they are all getting together and cross promoting. Tammy is a great example of that,” Watts said.

Blair said has no plans to expand to a third store yet. While she says expanding has not always been a smooth transition, she is pleased with how both stores are running.
“We are doing way better than we thought,” she said. “We have exceeded all expectations.”