Forty-eight hours before the Deep Roots Festival, Adeline Bramlett, the owner of French Vill’Edge, helped two young girls put together an outfit to wear on the day of the festival. The store had displays and racks full of clothing and accessories from denim to dresses, with showcased outfits curated to wear to the festival.
On the day of the festival, the store exchanged those for basics and winter pieces. Bramlett prepped the store for the influx of people on the days leading up to the event and the actual day of the festival.
“For example, what those girls were checking out, the layering pieces, I’m fairly certain that Monday we will be completely clean out of that,” said Bramlett.
The small women’s boutique started its preparations in mid-September by ordering inventory and trying to identify trends that girls will be shopping for during the time of the festival. Along with inventory preparations, Bramlett said that it was “all hands-on deck,” and every employee was working.
She emphasized that who she hired as an employee was important to her, as she wanted everyone who came into her boutique before and during Deep Roots to have a meaningful experience. However, on the day of the festival due to high traffic, she stated that she hates when the customer experience with employees may fall short.
During Deep Roots, the boutique did not feature any sales. Bramlett mentioned that it is too chaotic for cashiers to remember sales when ringing up items. They also didn’t mark down items, as the high influx of traffic and out-of-towners guarantee they sell products as is at regular, retail price.
French Vill’Edge also did not have a specific closing time on the day of Deep Roots, due to the high traffic of shoppers throughout the evening. Some years the boutique closes at 10 p.m. while others it is 7 p.m., Bramlett said.
“It’s not just important financially, it sets the tone for the winter season,” she added.
Deep Roots is important to many of the small businesses downtown. The festival fills hotels, restaurants and stores. Carlee Schulte, coordinator for the event, says that Deep Roots fuels the local economy and strengthens the spirit of the town of Milledgeville.