Jacksonville Company – A Classic
After 14 years, Lorraine Akin knows that offering quality products and superior customer service are the keys to prospering in a retail business. Her store, the Jacksonville Company, has become a must-stop shopping destination for local women and visitors who appreciate fine apparel and shoes. Akin operates the boutique-style store with her daughter, Brooke Jewell.
Brooke, Lorraine and Petra
“In October, 1998, I bought the Jacksonville Shoe Company from my best friend. At the time, the store carried mostly shoes with a tiny amount of Brighton handbags and accessories.” Akin holds a degree in business from Southern Oregon University and was a newspaper advertising executive in Eugene and Grants Pass before venturing into retail.
A short time after opening the Jacksonville Company, Akin had increased her Brighton product line by ten-fold. Today, 35% of the store’s sales volume is comprised of their coveted handbags, belts, and accessories. “Brighton’s ten fashion designers are women, all of whom get style, fashion and quality…and the company stands behind every product they offer,” Akin notes. Lorraine knows her clientele and knows they appreciate lasting style – classic products that stand the test of time and look great for years and years. “Over the years, I’ve learned that so many of our customers would rather spend more on one handbag that lasts 5 to 10 years, rather than a cheaper one that will wear out quickly,” she says.
Today, as before, shoe sales represent a major portion of sales from well-known lines, Born, Crown and Cole Haan.
In addition to Brighton products, Akin carries superb clothing lines including, 3-Dot, Tommy Bahama and Hazel. Clothing, she says, is the store’s number one selling product. The decision to bring-in clothing occurred in 2005, when Akin’s daughter, Brooke joined her in the business after graduating from the University of Oregon.
“As a kid, Brooke would join me on product buying trips and quickly learned a lot about the fashion industry. When she was 12, she started some modeling work and really developed her great taste and sense for clothing styles. By the time she graduated college, her gift was putting clothes together which has really benefited our customers.”
Today, at 31, Brooke is the mother of a 5 year-old son and 2 month-old daughter. Lorraine says, “Brooke not only understands our long-term customers’ needs, she relates to the younger generation and provides invaluable advice on choosing what merchandise we carry for our entire customer base.”
Lorraine and her husband, Jack, have lived in Jacksonville for 12 years and together, raised Brooke and three sons. Jack is an Environmental Sciences Engineer with an impressive resume of his own – look for a story about him in an upcoming issue of the Review!
Find the Jacksonville Company in downtown at 155 W. California Street, On the Information Kiosk at the Beekman Bank and online at www.jacksonvillecompany.com. (541) 899-8912.