Willow Glen Resident

Business

Photograph by Vicki Thompson

Smart Marketing: Alta owners, Rhonda Lackmann (left) and general manager Laura Swenson continue to expand their business. The women have opened a fourth location in Los Gatos and say their success stems from their ability to cater to all ages.

Alta, longtime Lincoln Avenue clothier, expands its business

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

As changeable as fashion is, not a lot has changed at Willow Glen's Alta clothing store since its opening in 1983.

It still carries funky and unique clothes and has prices that span all budgets, and employees still greet customers with the same friendliness that has won the women's boutique the loyal clientele it has enjoyed for the past 23 years.

For Willow Glen resident Gloria Loventhal, it is a combination of style and atmosphere that's keep her loyal. She has been shopping at Alta since 1983.

"Department store fashion is more run of the mill," she says. "Alta has a classic elegance."

The camaraderie she shares with the owner, employees and other customers also has her coming back.

"We all know each other here," Loventhal says. "People feel comfortable here. Sometimes, women just come here to visit, hang out. It's retail therapy."

Loventhal frequents the boutique so much that when her husband is looking for her, all he needs to do is call the shop to find her.

"This is where I shop," Loventhal says. "This is my home."

Customers such as Loventhal have made the Willow Glen location the most successful of Alta's three locations. The other two are located in San Carlos and Menlo Park. Now Alta's owner, Rhonda Lackmann, has opened a fourth location in Los Gatos on 130 N. Santa Cruz Blvd.

General manager Laura Swenson says with the opening of this fourth store, the women hope they will have more clout in the market.

"Hopefully we will be able to get our hands on lines that we couldn't before," Swenson says.

The boutique can offer hard-to-find clothing lines because it caters to a wide range of ages--25- to 85-year-old customers.

"We cater to women who are looking for something different--a woman who wants her wardrobe to be current and appropriate for both her body and age," Swenson says.

Swenson attributes the store's success to its clientele, which isn't being satisfied anywhere else.

"I think most women my age are encountering the feeling that there isn't anything out there for them at department stores unless they want to feel like a rubber stamp and look like everyone else," she says.

The neighborhood store is a place in Willow Glen where women come to gather. Its convivial atmosphere has spanned the generations.

"The neighborhood gals all sit around and, in the beginning, would talk about preschool, then conversations progressed to high school, college, then divorces and senior care," Swenson says. "They have come along for the ride."

Swenson is convinced the new Los Gatos location will not only survive the mall competition but thrive.

"There are other women's boutiques already located there, such as Leaf & Petal and Bella Rose, but those locations cater to younger women," Swenson says.

Adrienne's, the store formerly located where Alta will set up shop, had a clientele that was heavily made up of new mothers. When the owner retired, the space became available.

"They have already poked their heads in and have told us that they are excited we are moving in," Swenson says. "I think we could make them happy."

Customers at Alta also think the new location will be a hit.

"The people in Los Gatos are gonna love it," Loventhal says. "Los Gatos is similar to Willow Glen in that people there don't want to go to malls. They like to keep their money in their neighborhoods."

Alta Willow Glen is at 1342 Lincoln Ave. For more information, call 408.288.5940.