Business Community

New Purpose Boutique, coming to Point Fosdick Drive, will style you from head to toe

Ladies: care to be “fully styled,” browse premium denim and potentially acquire other contemporary “trend-forward clothing” at a polished new boutique just a few doors down from Gig Harbor’s Metropolitan Market?

You’re in luck. Purpose Boutique — a small but growing Kitsap-based chain with eight existing stores in Kirkland, Tacoma and Silverdale — plans to open its latest women’s shop in Gig Harbor next month. It will occupy space once used by Starbucks in the Harbor Plaza shopping center on Point Fosdick Drive.

Shoppers can feel good after buying at Purpose Boutique in a way that goes beyond the thrill of owning a new Blue & Purple Fenella Peplum Top ($89.99), Parisian Blue Olivia Midi Dress ($99.99) or pair of Natural Raffia Melody Flats ($119.99). The chain has built giving back into its business model, donating a percentage of all sales to nonprofits that fight sex trafficking and support families.

Started as home-based business

Christie Johnson, founder and CEO, says Purpose Boutique has donated nearly $600,000 since the company started in her Bremerton home 13 years ago.

Johnson was a 28-year-old Navy wife with two babies then. Her original living room-based clothing sales, in which most customers were friends, led to a storefront in downtown Bremerton. Her husband, Flip, lent a hand when not deployed as a submarine officer (he’s currently in the Navy Reserve). Flip went to MIT and “he’s a brain guy,” Johnson said.

Christie Johnson in the Purpose Boutique in Tacoma. Johnson plans to open a new Purpose location in Gig Harbor. Photo courtesy of Johnson

A store in Silverdale, which seemed a better fit for customer demographics, eventually replaced the Bremerton women’s store. Shop openings in downtown Kirkland and that city’s Totem Lake district followed.

As the company evolved, its branding split three ways. It now operates the Purpose Boutique women’s stores (including the one soon to open here), as well as Sincere, a women’s shop concept that is “slightly higher end compared to Purpose,” with “slightly more elevated products.” Purpose Boutique – that’s the name of Johnson’s company as well as some of its stores – branched further afield in 2022 with its Purpose Men’s concept.

Why Gig Harbor?

Gig Harbor-ites who want to check out the full scope of Purpose Boutique’s retail concepts needn’t travel far. All three stores have outposts at Tacoma’s Point Ruston development.

“We identified Gig Harbor as a market we wanted to be in,” Johnson said. In addition to offering an affluent populace, Purpose Boutique’s newest location lies conveniently between Silverdale and Point Ruston, she said.

Purpose Boutique’s Ruston store is currently the closest to Gig Harbor. That will change soon, when the regional chain opens a new store on Point Fosdick Drive. Photo by Ted Kenney

Kirkland is more far-flung, but Johnson chose that location as much for “community” as for proximity. The community hub, specifically, is Northwest University, a Kirkland-based Christian college that has become an important source of Purpose Boutique employees. Among Northwest University alums in key company roles is Lindsey Lindseth, the chief operating officer.

Johnson graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, an even higher-profile evangelical Christian school. And it’s hard to miss the religious threads woven through the company, from the religious affiliation of the charities it supports, to Johnson’s founding story on the company website.

In that tale, “with an answer to prayer, my calling became clear… I stepped forward to launch a business knowing it would require a lot of faith and obedience to face the challenges ahead and fear of failure.”

Style with Purpose

Come into one of the stores, though, and you’ll find employees on another kind of mission: To style you fully, from head to toe, Johnson said.

One thing that sets her stores apart from other boutiques is its emphasis on styling — proactively asking customers about their needs and their preferences, and coming up with solutions.

“We will pull clothing based on what we know will look good on you” and on the purpose for which you are shopping — be it an upcoming big event or just the need to look good at work, she said.

Purpose Boutique built giving back into its business model, donating a percentage of all sales to non-profits that fight sex trafficking and support families. Photo by Ted Kenney

“When you walk into one of our stores, we want it to feel like an experience. We offer sparkling water, treats and create a fully-styled fitting room based on your preferences, making shopping easy and fun,” said Kylie Danskin, marketing director for the company.

“Our style is ‘elevated everyday’ with pieces that can take you from casual to date night. We’re especially known for our premium denim and helping customers find the perfect fit,” Danskin said.

“Our goal is for you to come in, have an amazing time and leave feeling confident!”

Personal styling parties

The company also offers personal styling parties, something akin to Johnson’s early days of hosting a boutique in her living room. These typically take place after business hours, and the customer who organizes one will invite a lot of friends. Boutique staff are on hand to offer guidance.

The styling parties can even have catering, depending on how much work the organizer wants to put in. The customer hosting these events typically gets discount on their purchases. Company-wide, Purpose Boutique sees probably one of these events per month. Some customers like to have annual parties, Johnson said.