Dec 4, 2024 3 min read Q&A

5 Questions for Lily Lodge owner Ariana Lambert Smeraldo

Ariana Lambert Smeraldo at her store. (Courtesy Lily Lodge)

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By Marcy Medina | for The SKUpe

When she was in her late twenties in the early Aughts, Ariana Lambert Smeraldo left her job doing P.R. and VIP dressing at Bottega Veneta to become an entrepreneur. This year, her Los Angeles floral boutique Lily Lodge celebrates its 20th anniversary with a new Melrose Avenue location twice the size of her original shop, and Smeraldo is looking ahead to the next chapter, possibly one that includes a dinner series and an East Coast outpost.

What prompted you to look for a new location?

When I first opened on Robertson Boulevard, Philip Lim was across the street, next to Steven Alan, Christian Louboutin and Kinara Spa. The street was full of life and creativity, then it shifted. The new space had to be on a vibrant street with potential for foot traffic, on a corner for better visibility, have parking and twice the retail space. I put the search on hold during covid, then got lucky, finding a place that didn’t even have a 'for lease' sign yet.

How does the new store design differ from the old one?
Our floral designers work in front of the store windows instead of in the back, so people can watch them. A giant flower cooler in the middle of the store breaks up the space, and our vintage and one-of-a-kind vases are displayed along one entire side wall. We now have an open space in the back where you get to see how everything is made, and my office has a big window that looks out into the store. We also have a long table running down one side of the store, and my fantasy is to have dinners where I can set a gorgeous table and chefs bring food.

How do you use technology? How do new customers find you?

My customers aren't on TikTok, and I keep Instagram minimal. We sell boxes of roses on our website, but flower arrangements and one-of-a-kind and vintage vases are the kinds of things people like to see in person, especially if they are spending $500 on an arrangement. New customers come mostly from word of mouth because every time someone sends flowers there is a recipient.

What are the biggest challenges for niche retailers?

If you choose a niche business like flowers, know your audience and how to get to every bit of that audience and stand out. We have a partnership with [members club] San Vicente Bungalows that gives us great visibility, but you could open a restaurant as an extension of your brand, or sell related gift items.

What’s your best piece of work advice?
I’ve had jobs since I was 15 and I tell my two teenagers to make sure they’ve had three jobs: retail, restaurant and office. Those taught me how to sell, what retail markup is, the value of branding, how to organize an office and customer service. Even though we design flowers in a very natural way that is less contrived, this is a service industry, so I will make whatever anybody wants. That’s important, being able to shift and evolve and not get stuck in our ways.