House of Hangers women's clothing shop opens downtown

• House of Hangers has been open six weeks on the corner of Fourth and West Main streets, downtown.
• The boutique offers business casual and contemporary looks for women in their late 20s, early 30s,

NEWARK – Kristine Lovell has never worked in retail or owned a business, but she decided the time was right to leave her job at State Farm Insurance and open a women's fashion boutique downtown.

House of Hangers has been open about six weeks at 3 N. Fourth St., on the corner of Fourth and West Main streets, across from the Newark Municipal Building.

It may sound like a risky move, but once she made up her mind, Lovell never questioned her decision. Since leaving State Farm in August, she's been focused on what's ahead and not what she left behind.

"Everyone around me seemed to have their own business and I was always an employee," Lovell said. "I always wanted to own my own business. Everyone said it takes a lot of courage, but I never thought twice about it."

The last few months have been a whirlwind for Lovell. Beginning in August, she left her job, fiance Delvon Williams moved his Premier Motor Car Co. dealership from Columbus to Newark, they bought a house, and she opened her business.

"Looking back, I'd say it was crazy with everything we were doing," Lovell said.

Lovell, a 2007 Licking Valley High School graduate, received plenty of advice on how to run the business and what to offer customers, but she said the best advice was to follow her own vision.

"Everyone has an opinion," Lovell said. "You should have this or do it that way. It's great when people give advice, but if you listen to everyone's advice, there would be no consistency. I know what I'm going for and what I want in the store. I don't second-guess it."

House of Hangers sells business casual and contemporary looks for women in their late 20s and early 30s, Lovell said, but that's not all the store offers.

"They want to be trendy and wear what's in style, and not spend a ton of money," Lovell said. "There's something in here for everyone, from age 20 to 60, and from small to 3X.

"Finding an evening dress for a special event is tough to find in Newark. There's not a lot of plus size options here. My mom is 6-4 and she just can't shop anywhere in Newark."

The niche Newark is missing, Lovell said, is between the youth of Deb stores and what is available at the JC Penney store at the mall. Shoppers can find something for work, a date, for home and for every size. Nothing in the store costs more than $50, she said.

Jewelry, handbags, wallets and a few cosmetics are sold, in addition to clothing.

She contracted with wholesalers online and works only with distributorships in the U.S.

Lovell said she hopes the construction on the Courthouse Square doesn't scare people away, but she's afraid that's what's been happening.

"They're avoiding downtown completely," Lovell said. "But if (the improvement) brings business into downtown, it'll kind of help all of us.

"It's great being on the corner, with all the windows, and the foot traffic, with all the women who work downtown."

Hours

11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday

Noon to 5 p.m., Saturday

Closed, Sunday