trendy at a discount

Eileen and Bob Fox started selling women’s clothing 35 years ago in the flea markets on Long Island.

In due time, what started out as a post-college business endeavor became a successful enterprise for the pair. Today, their chain, Fox’s, has 16 stores across the country and caters to women of all ages and styles.

“Pretty much all women could shop here,” said Eileen Fox, who often oversees the daily shipment of new merchandise to Fox’s Upper East Side location on Third Avenue near 85th street. When she and her husband opened the store originally, she explained, they were going for quality clothing at a competitive price. Since then, the couple has maintained this goal, earning a name as a boutique-like store with bargain prices.

“Anything I’ve ever bought, it’s really amazing,” said Kathleen McEvoy, a regular shopper at Fox’s for at least ten years. “The customer service is great.”

Most of the clothing at Fox’s is purchased from Europe and other fashion capitals of the world. In addition to regular women’s wear, Fox’s sells jewelry, coats and shoes. Notably, Fox’s also has a collection of modest clothing for its religious customers who make up a large portion of the clientele.

“Our customer is everybody,” said Sharon Garfunkel, who has worked at Fox’s for five years in sales and with buyers, developing and maintaining relationships with customers to get them the best deals on the best clothes. In her experience, Garfunkel has found that many people go out of their way to come to Fox’s. “We are definitely a destination store in addition to a neighborhood store,” she said.

Although Fox’s has had stores in New York for years, coming to Manhattan was seen as the next step. “The rents kind of scared us away from New York City,” explained Bob Fox. But during a trial run in a temporary location on the Upper West Side about six years ago, Bob and Eileen noticed that a large number of customers came from across the park. When their lease was up, they set their sights on the East Side for a more permanent location.

While Fox’s has been successful in its East Side voyage, the same cannot be said for other businesses in the area.

“It’s depressing to see Third Avenue,” said Garfunkel, referring to the empty storefronts that have plagued the Upper East Side as of late.

“You have to be careful when you come in because the rents are astronomical,” Eileen explained. Skyrocketing rents have practically run the mom and pop shop into the ground and have made it difficult for a business on the Upper East Side to simply break even.

However, Fox’s seems to have avoided the fate of other retail ventures with its steadfast commitment to quality customer service and merchandise.

“The best way to ensure security is to really develop a loyal client base,” said Faith Hope Consolo, a real estate broker with Douglas Elliman who is familiar with the way fashion and retail interact. In other words, knowing your customer base is as important as the merchandise you sell.

Of course, the clothing and pricing itself is important as well.

“We do have a particular niche,” said Bob Fox. “We try to keep fashion fun so our customers don’t feel guilty about buying something they like.”